


No Middle Ground

by TFLWrites



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Memory Loss, Mystery, Time Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2020-06-25 11:44:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 115,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19745062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFLWrites/pseuds/TFLWrites
Summary: Is it truly a happy ending if the middle doesn't exist?Max Caulfield saved both her hometown and her best friend. Only she can’t remember much of anything, let alone how she did it.At least everyone is safe... right?Max loses her memories and is reintroduced to Arcadia Bay, but the timeline isn't quite the same.





	1. A Stranger with Blue Hair

“ _C’mon Max, smile for the camera!” her dad said, as if she didn’t already have the biggest grin she could muster on her face. Could he tell it was forced?_

_The click and following flash left spots in her eyes, though they quickly passed. Traveling this way always made the lights brighter, blinding to the point of pain._

_Greasy stadium food wafting up made her remember that she needed to eat, not that she could do anything about it right now. Food would wait for another time._

_Down below, players in the rink zoomed around as patrons in the stands maneuvered quickly to their seats. This was one of her favorite days. Full of memories. It was good she kept a picture to remember it by—and for other reasons._

_No one paid her any attention now, not even her dad. They noticed nothing different, which was what she expected._

_It was time for a test. If it worked, she could stop running._

_She needed to stop._

-Timeline #0

* * *

Bright lights were all Max Caulfield could see.

Lights so piercing that she couldn’t stand to keep her eyes open for more than a moment. They drilled into her skull like knives and muddled her thoughts, making it difficult to comprehend anything through the spots in her vision.

To her left, she heard various machines; a constant and rhythmic _beep beep_ that reminded Max of her time in the hospital when she was young. She remembered that she had swallowed her stuffed teddy bear’s eye and been rushed into the ER. That was the only time she had ever really spent any significant period in a hospital, and though there were no serious problems, it left an impact on Max; she acted with more care after that.

The next thing that hit her was the smell, and while she expected a sickening waft of disinfectant and heavy-duty cleaner, what struck her instead was the smell of some greasy fast food—a burger, probably. It wasn’t until she heard a slight shuffling from somewhere near her she realized that she wasn’t alone.

It took a few more tries to force her eyes open, and it was only when she finally overcame those blinding ceiling lights, that she could lean up to take proper stock of the room.

Outside it was a fine day, as far as the light streaking through the curtains could tell her. It also meant that it couldn’t have been particularly late. The trees were in the process of losing their leaves and had yet to show the bare branches that come with winter. The door to the hallway was open, showing doctors and nurses rushing by, busy at work.

In the room’s corner was a young woman—she couldn’t have been more than twenty-five—with blue hair, picking mindlessly at a burger. The girl’s muscles were visible through her tanktop— _F*CK OFF_ it said—and Max could see that she had a detailed tattoo sleeve that ran the length of her right arm. Long vines entwined with several roses and a skull. Max didn’t recognize her.

Even though the girl had her head down, Max could faintly make out some soft sounds— _crying?_ —coming from her. She hadn’t seen that Max had woken up yet, which was fortunate. Awkward conversations with strangers were never Max’s strong suit, especially if they caught her off guard. Her shyness usually led to responses filled with silent stares and soft stammering, which tended to push people off.

Who was this person?

“Uh... Hi,” Max squeaked out, deciding that it would be better to just _say something_ and take the initiative, instead of just creepily staring at this strange girl.

Before she can think of something more concrete to say, the stranger let out a gasp and rushed up to Max, wrapping her arms around to grip the back of Max's shirt. Max couldn’t talk under the strength of this girl’s hug—not that she would know what to say anyway—and with her face in Max’s shoulder and the suddenness of the embrace, Max almost didn’t hear what she said.

“Thank fuck you’re awake! I was so worried about you.” The girl let go of Max to look her in the eyes. Seeing her up close revealed tear streaks around her reddened face. That, along with the scratchy roughness in her voice told Max that she had to have been crying for hours at least. It made Max’s heart ache; she hated seeing the girl like this. Even if she was a stranger.

“We all were—really," the girl choked out. "But look!” Max’s gaze followed the hand pointing out towards the sunlight. “Turns out there was nothing to worry about anyway. No big storm or whatever you saw.”

The girl’s large, toothy smile made it clear that this was great news, but it quickly died as Max stared blankly at her. What did she mean by ‘big storm’? She pointed outside, so it probably wasn’t a metaphor.

More staring. She was good at that.

“Hey... Max? Everything alright?”

It wasn’t. Waking up in a hospital room with no idea what day it was, why you were in there, or any clue as to the identity of the very touchy woman giving grabbing you is bound to make one be _definitely not alright_.

Max was finding it difficult to think. She didn’t know this girl. She didn’t know where she was—other than ‘a hospital’, which wasn't very helpful. And most annoying of all was the terrible headache that she only just realized she had. Maybe that had something to do with what was wrong.

The entire situation was overwhelming her. She didn’t want to upset this girl any more than she already was, but at this point, anything was better than just another blank stare. She felt as if she should know who this person was, but her mind couldn’t call up anything at all.

“I’m really sorry...” Max rasped. Her throat was dry and it was difficult to speak. “Who are you? I don’t really know what’s going on. Do we know each other?”

That was the wrong thing to say. The blue-haired girl clammed up, eyes wide. Her face rotated through countless emotions too fast to see, eventually settling on one that was a mix of horror and disbelief. Max couldn't believe that the girl could have any more tears after how long she must have been crying, but a few began to streak down her reddened face all the same. She tried unsuccessfully to hold them back, and it almost made Max want to cry herself out of sympathy. Staying in her confused calm seems inappropriate when this girl was so full of emotion.

The girl opened her mouth a few times, looking for the right response. After several moments, she found it, and her voice came out as a loud choke through her tears.

“ _FUCK!_ ”

Her yell rang through the room and into the hallway outside, causing several of the nurses to slow and look in. None of them made any move as the girl turned and stomped out, muttering something under her breath that Max couldn’t quite make out. She was gone in a moment, out of Max’s sight when she rounded the corner at almost a jog. With the interruption gone, everyone outside continued back to their work.

All that remained of her was her half-eaten burger. No one else came in.

-~-

Max spent the next while waiting. The hospital room was unfortunately bare in terms of things to do, which meant it didn’t take long for Max to bore. Could they not afford a TV? She could do with a book at least. The only interesting thing about the room was the small vase of daisies on her bedside. She didn’t notice it earlier; she was too focused on her other side where the strange girl sat. She reached over to inspect them closely. Real daisies. No card.

Luckily the wait didn’t seem too long, even though the clock said it had been a little over an hour when the doctor arrived. He was a short, skinny man who apologized for the wait and introduced himself as Doctor Hamlin. He drew together each word he spoke into a rapid machine gun of questions as if trying to force every thought out in a single breath. His rushed speech was difficult to understand through Max’s headache, and she only wished that he would take a moment to let her understand what he was saying before moving on. From what she gathered, the commotion from earlier was enough to let him know that Max was awake, though with how loud that yell seemed, Max was sure the entire hospital knew at this point.

The doctor gets right to business. Typical questions they probably always ask.

How are you? _Fine._

How do you feel? _Confused._

Does anything hurt? _My head._

The doctor nodded at that last one. He explained that she had suffered a serious seizure several days ago and has been mostly unconscious since then. Rare moments of lucidity was all. Some temporary loss of memory isn’t unusual for something this serious, he explained, and hopefully everything will return soon.

 _Hopefully._ A nicer way of saying ‘We don’t know’, Max understood. She was always somewhat of an optimist, trying to look at the positive side and hoping that things would turn out all right if she had tried everything she could. In this situation though, she felt it was more luck than hope. Most people didn't see the difference.

Dr. Hamlin was still talking, annoyingly. He let her know that her parents were in town, staying at a nearby hotel, and have already been told that she’s awake. She’ll need to stay for a few more days at the least, if only to make sure that no undetected problems arise. Or that it doesn’t happen again, of course.

It was a lot of info for Max to take in at once, so she just nodded at everything he said, storing it away for later. Her mind still focused on that girl from earlier. Though she hasn’t come back yet, Max was sure she would. If she cared enough to sit and wait by her bed, no idea when Max would wake, she would care enough to come back.

Apparently whatever the doctor said that Max didn’t hear was the end of his spiel. All she took from it was ‘...see you then.’ Another nod and he’s gone. Her lack of attention was clear if she had to guess, but he could forgive her. Her head was still pounding and her vision was still slightly out of focus. Everything was, really. She couldn't think.

Through the haze, Max tried to see what she could remember. Her only solid memories were that of herself as a young child. She knew she and her parents lived on the coast for some time. They went to the zoo, and parks, and other normal stuff. But anything more recent that than just left her with nothing. No matter how hard she thought about anything within the past several years, she only received a splitting pain through her skull instead. Not even small flashes or momentary glimpses of a memory.

The doctor was _hopeful_ it would get better. Max could only rely on luck instead.

-~-

The girl came back.

Once the doctor left, Max was once again alone with little to do. She didn’t know where her phone was and forgot to ask while he was still there. She thought about asking the nurse that came in to clean the mess the strange girl left behind, but dropped the idea when she figured that her headache ruined her focus too much to be able to use it properly. It had been several hours, and the sun was moving below the trees outside, casting long shadows through the window, but the passage of time had yet to help any.

It was while Max was resting, watching the clock tick by and wishing that her head would just _stop pounding_ that she noticed the girl from before hovering at the door. Her shoulders were awkwardly hunched and she pointedly avoided eye contact, as if she thought Max would yell at her for making a scene and running off.

Max just looked at her silently. She was good at that. What was she supposed to say? She didn't even know the girl’s name. She must be someone she or her parents know if she’s just allowed in with Max alone.

“Hey,” the girl finally spoke, a slight shake in her voice. Her eyes were still on the ground, but it was a start.

“Hey.”

“So,” the girl inched her way inside. She was careful to keep most of the room between herself and Max. “You really have no idea who I am?”

Max shook her head.

At that, the girl sighed. “Chloe. I’m Chloe. We’re best friends. Knew each other since we were kids. We were the greatest. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

The girl— _Chloe_ —had a slight smile on her face. It became a frown after a moment.

“What’d the doctor say? Seizure?” Chloe got a nod at that. “Good guess, I suppose. Best they could’ve thought without knowing what you can do.”

“What I can do? What does that mean?”

That brought the smile back to Chloe’s face. “You won’t believe it. Which is exactly why I’m gonna tell you. Although...”

Chloe’s face becomes serious. “You have to be careful. A whole week we spent working together, seeing what you were capable of. Never got any worse than some nosebleeds, but obviously it could’ve been.” She waved at the surrounding room. “I don’t want this to happen again. You have to promise me you won't try.”

“Of course,” Max said. “I’ll be careful. With whatever it is. I promise.” She was so intrigued at what this big deal was. What exactly was it she could _do_? Was she some sort of super-spy? Secret agent? Did she have magic powers? Numerous ideas raced through her mind, but none of them seemed important, dangerous, or likely enough to convey the gravity that Chloe was holding it to. If Chloe thought this more important than anything else, it must be serious. Unless it was all just a joke, something which a large part of Max still thought was most likely. But Chloe didn’t seem like the person to go to all of this effort just for a lie. Though Max knows she’s made the same mistake before.

While Max’s mind raced, Chloe took a seat and dragged it across the floor right next to the hospital bed. It seemed a small reintroduction was enough to get over her shyness from earlier. This close, Max could make out the strong smell of cigarette smoke coming off of her. It wasn’t too unpleasant—her dad was a smoker—so she could ignore that and listen as the explanation began. Chloe cracked her knuckles and began to speak, her tone low as if she were telling a scary story.

“Well... I’m going to tell you how you, Max Caulfield, learned to time travel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading.
> 
> Next chapter: 7-12
> 
> Tags to be added with chapters.


	2. Shazam!

“ _You know she didn’t really leave you.”_

“ _Yeah. Well. How the fuck would you know? You never even met her. You went and bailed on me without so much as a goodbye, and now you’re acting like you know what’s best for everyone.”_

“ _It’s not like that. I told you, we have to do things very carefully. I’m trying to save everyone. Please, just listen to me for a bit longer. Then I can explain everything, I swear.”_

“ _Why can’t you explain it now? You constantly go off doing God knows what and say we’re just supposed to put up with it? That’s bullshit. If you really cared you’d tell us instead of constantly throwing out these vague whatevers. I thought you’d tell me at least. Best friends forever, right? Just another lie.”_

 _Chloe stomped off again. She did that more and more often now. It broke Max’s heart every time, but she still held out_ hope _. At first, she tried to make Chloe understand, but her attempts only made things worse no matter what she did. Even though it hurt, Max let her go. This was all going to be worth it in the end. It had to be._

_The storm came on Friday._

-Timeline #1 

* * *

Max couldn’t believe it. _Time travel_? How was that even possible? What caused her superpower? Could other people do it? Did she have other powers?

Chloe didn’t know much more than her, really. Max learned about the long week they had spent together, figuring out how her powers worked, but Chloe admitted that she had no idea as to the actual mechanics behind it. _It just happens_ , she had said.

Most of that week was only her and Chloe, it seemed. They spent most of their time together learning the limits of her power and using it to help her friends. Any time they weren’t together, she spent at school. Blackwell Academy was apparently a big deal, and she had a full-ride for photography. Chloe didn’t go, so those were the times they couldn’t do any _experimenting_ , as she called it.

Max also heard a little about her friendship with Chloe, though not enough to satisfy her. Max had left town five years ago and recently returned when the two met back up with each other. Chloe didn’t go into much detail about things between them, which only made Max more interested. Chloe knew her well, but to Max, she was still a stranger she met only a few hours ago. Max knew Chloe was holding things back—it was clear by the way she evaded questioning on certain holes in her story when pressed—but after enough vague answers, Max finally dropped it.

The way Chloe described it, she wished she could remember some of these moments. Chloe told her how they had reconnected on a Monday, she had helped a friend from a rough situation on Tuesday, then spent the next two days _researching_ , whatever that meant. There was more to her power than Chloe knew at first, but once again Max couldn't get any details.

That Friday was when she had collapsed. The two of them, sitting at the lighthouse, watching the ocean. Chloe said that Max had acted strangely right before. _It’ll be okay. Stay strong_ , she had said. Those last words—thankfully not her _last words_ —kept her going, waiting for Max to wake up. At this, Chloe’s face threatened tears, but she held them back.

The story lasted little more than a half-hour, and the time seemed to rush by as Max listened, sucking up every detail. She had to understand all she could, even though the entire explanation was painfully vague. By the end, she felt that she wasn’t getting the entire story—too many jumps, too many names and details glossed over—but that wasn’t at the front of her mind. She would ask for more information later. She knew what she wanted right now.

“Teach me how I did it. I want to time travel. Right now.”

The entire time, Chloe had had a quiet edge to herself, just trying to get through her story, while focusing on not saying something she felt she shouldn’t. This, however, shocked her up like a cattle prod.

“No fucking way. That’s a terrible idea. Every time you go and stress yourself with this stuff, you get nosebleeds and headaches and who knows what else that you never told me. What if you hurt yourself again or have another magic seizure? How about we try something easy, _like you getting better right now_?”

Max wouldn’t let her resolve waver. Chloe was hiding something. Many things, if she had to guess. Too much made too little sense. Why did she first time travel in a bathroom? Who were these friends she helped, and why could their problems only be solved by rewinding time? She needed this, if only to achieve some semblance of understanding that this whole ordeal wasn’t some wild dream.

“You can’t just tell me something as crazy as this and not expect me to want it. This is big. World-changing big. And you said that I used it to help people. I want to do that again.”

“Yeah, I know.” Chloe stood and began pacing. “But you promised! You’re definitely not strong enough to try yet. You’ll end up getting hurt.”

“And if I do get hurt, what better place to be than the middle of a hospital? I mean, you’ve told me all this stuff that I barely understand, and you’re just expecting me to believe it. I’m sorry, but we only met a few hours ago. I can’t trust you like that.”

That was a low blow, but it was effective. Chloe stopped roaming and collapsed into the chair, all energy that she had gone. It reminded Max of when she came back into the room, awkward and withdrawn, afraid of every move she made. Max didn’t even consider how this whole situation must have hurt _Chloe_. If she really had been Max’s best friend for years, then how must it feel to watch Max sit unconscious, not knowing if she would ever wake up? And when Max does, it’s a stranger in her body; someone who looks and presumably acts the same, but has none of the life together between them. Chloe was only trying to salvage that, and Max went and pushed her away.

Max felt terrible, causing this rift between them. Chloe wasn’t lying, Max’s heart told her, so that was the worst possible thing to say. She had to fix it before Chloe ran off again, or something worse.

Chloe had the same idea.

“I’m sorry,” they both say in unison. It would be funny, but neither of them were in a laughing mood.

Chloe waved at Max to continue.

“I... shouldn’t have said that. You’re worried about me, and I did promise not to ask. This can, and should, wait for a better time.”

Chloe slowly shook her head. “No, you’re right, and you aren’t stupid. I need to let you do what you need to. It’s unbelievable, I know. But if I show you how to do this, you’ll know it’s all real. And then you know you can trust me, right?” Her face trembled with a tense look.

“If you’re sure...” Max said, hesitant. She wanted to learn how to use her power, but not if Chloe wasn’t willing to help. She wouldn’t even know where to begin, anyway.

“Yeah, let’s do this. You deserve to see, and it’s not fair to dangle this in front of you. It really is world-changing.”

"Yes! I'm ready!"

Chloe bowed deep in her chair and continued. “Patience, young grasshopper. Let me show you how it's done."

-~-

“Really? Nothing at all? Old Max never made this seem too hard. Just said she raised her hand and _woosh_.”

“Old Max? You make it seem like she’s a different person.”

“I mean, kind of? But it’s appropriate I guess, least until you get your memories back.”

“Do you think I will?” Max said, another drop of worry that she might not. The doctors didn’t understand, and there wasn’t much else they could do to help. They had done all they could, so they could hope everything would work out.

“Of course. Just give it time. Yeah.” Chloe clearly wasn’t optimistic, though she still tried to paste a smile on to her face. “That’s not the real issue, anyway. Our problem is figuring out why you can’t figure _this_ out. Not that I would be able to tell if you do. It’s a one-woman trip from what Old Max said. So... got any sense of d _éjà vu_?”

Chloe was proving to be a poor teacher. It was to be expected, considering that she had zero experience with what she taught, and was only going off of tidbits and offhand comments that Old Max had made. To Max, it felt as if the two of them were stuck wandering through a winding maze. Except they didn’t know how big the maze was or what the exit even looked like.

Another half-hour passed of Max throwing her right hand up— _Yeah sometimes she’d pop in with her arm raised like that—_ and focusing as much as possible, trying to figure out what little detail it was she was missing. It got to where she started yelling out nonsense words trying to get it to activate. Maybe it worked like _Shazam_? If it did, she didn’t find the right passphrase, though some weirder ones got a chuckle out of Chloe. However, her arm kept her decidedly in the normal timestream.

“This is hopeless,” Max said, throwing her hands up. If she figured it out before with no idea, it should be easier now that she has some pointers. Unfortunately, her powers didn’t seem to agree.

“You can’t just expect to jump in and get it first try. Maybe you need some time. Good ol’ relaxation to recharge your super juices.”

“Please don’t ever say ‘super juices’ again. We’re not calling it that.” Though it was silly, it brought a small smile to Max’s face. She was becoming more relaxed around Chloe. It was easy to see how they became friends, with their similar appreciation of humor and how nice it was to talk to her. Though she wished that Chloe would tell her more about her own life, so they could even the one-sided knowledge that Chloe held over her.

“Whatever you say, Maxi.” Chloe stood up and headed towards the door. “I gotta hit the head. Be right back.”

With Chloe gone, Max raised her hand to try one more time. Nothing.

They had spent plenty of time on this fruitless testing and had nothing to show for it than a slightly tired arm. Max was trying as hard as she could, yet felt nothing. Were these powers gone? Had they never existed? Max attempted to push those thoughts out of her head. Chloe was trustworthy. No one would go this far just for a joke, right? Though she had thought the same thing before, and the memory sent a shiver down her spine. No, this was different. It had to be.

Deep in thought, Max was somewhat distracted as Chloe stuck her head into the room, her body hidden around the corner. The timing confused Max. Hadn’t she left just a few seconds ago? Regardless, she was here, and she looked directly at Max with a strange smirk, a far cry from the last time she had hovered around the doorway.

“Heya Max. Sorry for the wait,” Chloe said. “I’ve just been thinking about how to get your powers going again, and I think I’ve figured it out.”

“Really? That’s great, Chloe! What should I do?”

“Well. Just do what comes naturally, I suppose. And if it doesn’t work, know that I’m really, really sorry about this.”

“About wha-“

Max’s question died on her lips as Chloe jumped into the room and threw, with all her strength, a water balloon straight at Max. Max reacted instinctively. Her hand came up, and there was a slight sensation of _something_ within her she could feel.

Then the balloon hit her.

The impact created a loud _POP_ , as water exploded all over her gown, the hospital bed, and the surrounding floor. Pieces of off-white rubber flew across the room, as Max pulled her hands up and yelped. Droplets of water dripped off in waves and pattered on to the ground in a small puddle, collecting under her bed. Chloe must have filled that thing to the brim, and all the water left Max drenched.

“ _CHLOE!”_ Max yelled, the wetness bringing her a chill.

“Max!” Chloe had a look of horror stuck on her face. “I’m so so sorry. I really thought that would work. Just uh... wait here. I’ll grab some towels from somewhere. Really should’ve thought of that.”

Her voice decayed into a mumble. “Stupid! Bad Chloe! Ugh. Can’t even do this right.”

“Wait!”

Max called for Chloe, but her focus was on finding something to clean up the mess and she didn’t hear her. Left alone once again, except now Max was in a sour mood and absolutely soaked. Was this how Chloe normally acted? She had seemed so surprised; she thought that would actually work.

One of the nurses in the hallway must have heard what happened, because he poked his head in soon after. Seeing the mess, he immediately ran off down the hall, presumably to also find towels. And hopefully clean sheets, because Max was not going to sit in this water any longer than she had to.

The day had been going quite well, until now. Though, taking a moment to think while she waited for Chloe, Max knew she had definitely noticed a _strange feeling_ there in the moment. She couldn’t describe it any more precisely than that, but it was noticeable. Was that the power that Chloe mentioned? Possibly, and the hope that it was overshadowed any annoyance from the water balloon.

There was nothing to do but to try. Max raised her right arm once more and felt for that power she tasted just moments ago.

 _There_. Just on the edge of her mind, she noticed it once more. She grabbed at it like a starving man, but it kept tantalizingly out of reach. The more she tried, the more the power ran away from her, like it was pointedly avoiding her attempts. Maybe this was the wrong strategy.

Instead, it was time for something different. Instead of reaching for the power with all her might, she ignored it, letting it flow toward her. The power was like a leaf on a lake, a simple ripple could send it floating away.

Her new plan worked. Max waited until the power was within reach, and just a little longer. Moving too soon would ruin all this setup. It wasn’t until she was positive that it was right in her grasp that she took it. There was no outward sign of anything different, but she felt something within herself change.

_Shazam._

The world around Max slowed to a crawl, and all color seemed to drain out. It wasn’t quite sheer black and white, but everything seemed muted, like a painting seen through fogged glass. The slowness gradually became more pronounced until all movement ceased.

With nothing moving, Max realized just how much ambient noise there had been, and the lack of any sound was slightly disturbing. There was no rustle of the trees outside, no stomping of people in the hallway, and no steady beeping of the machines in her room.

Well, she had figured out how to stop time, a feat that Chloe had mentioned she had only achieved once. She never said why she needed to do so, only that it was _hella awesome. Or so I heard,_ which was another question whose answer Chloe had pointedly avoided.

Now Max realized that her headache had returned. Or maybe it had never left, but Chloe’s story and the multiple attempts at using her power had distracted her. Either way, the pain was back in full force. Before, it had been piercing, a spike driven straight through the front of her brain, but now it was a dull ache that radiated from the back of her head.

The effort in holding the time stop was enough that she couldn’t hold it much longer, so Max chose to push further, reversing time instead of simply halting it. Chloe mentioned that reversing was easier than a full stop, but that didn’t make much sense. Wouldn’t keeping everything still be easier than pushing it all backwards? Regardless, she needed to do this, if only to know she could. And to clean up the mess, of course.

Another raise of her hand, and everything began to reverse. Slowly at first, but it quickly sped up to perhaps twice normal speed, backward. The branches outside moving, the nurse jogging backwards down the hall, then Chloe, back into the room.

The pieces of balloon that Chloe threw began to float upwards, and the drops of water followed them into the air. Up close, Max saw little appendages that hung off the side and flopped about like tiny fingers, and she realized that they actually were. It wasn’t a balloon that Chloe threw, but a latex glove that she had filled and tied off at the end. The glove became whole, then flew back into Chloe’s outstretched arm. Max waited another moment until Chloe only had her head around the door’s corner, then released the power that she had gathered.

Everything snapped back into focus like a rubber band, and the flow of time was restored. Letting go of the reverse was a weight off Max’s shoulders; she didn’t realize the extent she had to strain until she stopped.

“-ust do what comes naturally, I suppose. And if it doesn’t work, know that-“ Chloe started up mid-sentence, but was quickly interrupted by Max.

“Chloe! If you throw that water balloon at me again, I am going to scream.”

“What? Oh! Yes!” Chloe wiped the confusion off her face and stepped into the room again, throwing out a fist pump. “I knew it would work! Nice goin’ Supermax.”

She brought the balloon out from behind her back, but strangely, it was slightly deflated, as if it hadn’t been filled all the way. It was then that Max realized that, although the bed and ground around her were dry, _she was still wet_.

“Seriously!?” she cried. Her trip backward apparently wasn’t enough to take the water that was still on her. Only the objects she wasn’t in contact with were dry.

“Oh shit, Max. I thought you’d rewind before it hit you. Cause, you know, anything on you...”

“Thanks. I think I get that now.” Chloe withered under the glare that Max gave her. She had thrown the missile too fast from too close, and Max wasn’t able to figure out how to stop it before impact. It was fortunate enough she learned soon afterward.

“Yeah. Sorry about that. Do you want me to go grab a towel or something? I didn’t really think to bring one before. Probably should have.”

“No, it’s fine,” Max said, defeated. “Only a little came back, and I think it will dry off soon. It’s not a big deal. Where did you even get that glove?”

“Oh yeah,” Chloe chuckled, “Apparently if you just go up and ask for one they’ll just give it to you. No idea why, really. Someone may get a dumb idea, like making a water bomb.”

Chloe’s smirk told Max that she truly was proud that she had helped, even if she did splatter Max with enough water to annoy her. “But hey! You got superpowers now! Again!”

“Yeah, I do. It’s really neat. I even stopped time for a little bit before bringing it all back. My head really hurts though.”

“Shit, yeah. But it doesn’t look like got a nosebleed yet, so maybe it was easier for you than for Old Max. But still, try to keep it easy, alright? Now that you know you can do it there’s no need to keep pushing it.”

Chloe was right. Even though Max didn’t try to use her power again, she still felt it waiting right on the edge of her thoughts. If she needed, she could call it up easily, on a moment’s notice. Though that didn’t seem like the best idea, considering that her headache had gotten a little worse, and didn’t seem like it would recede any time soon.

Besides, it was getting late. Visiting hours would be over soon, Max was sure. Though that might not apply if Chloe had spent almost every hour with her since her collapse, as she said. She definitely didn’t want Chloe to leave, but she didn’t know if she would be able to resist trying to learn more about her life instead of sleeping. And she thought Chloe could certainly use a meal more filling than hospital junk food.

“Yeah. That can wait for later for sure,” Max said. “Some sleep would help me, I think, if that’s okay.”

“Totally, dude. You did something amazing tonight. You deserve it. I’ll be back tomorrow, soon as they let me in. And I’ll go ahead and tell everyone you’re awake. They’ve been worried sick.” Chloe tossed out a double thumbs-up, then dropped it. “Er... if that’s alright with you of course. I understand if you’d rather me not go telling everyone right now. Might get mobbed by a swarm of kinda-sorta strangers.”

“Good idea, Chloe. But yeah, maybe just a couple. I can stand to meet a few new people I know. Good friends like you, okay?”

That got a laugh out of Chloe, which Max loved hearing. It was a nice change from the sad, awkward girl she had been unexpectedly introduced to.

“Trust me, Maxi. There’s no one else quite like me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The weirdest one she said was _Be Kind Rewind!_  
>  Surprised that one didn't work.
> 
> Next Chapter: 7-16


	3. Little Tin Box/A Light in the Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Allusions to Abuse and Self-harm. No detail or depictions.

_“Seriously!? Thank you so much, Mom! This is the best day of my life!”_

“ _Of course, darling,” Joyce said in her southern drawl. “Your father and I decided that it would be best for both of you if you went with Max to Seattle. I frankly have no idea what you two would do without each other.”_

“ _However,” spoke Mr. Caulfield, “this isn't some extended sleepover. You will stay with us, and we expect you to do your part with chores and school. There will be no slacking off.”_

_Chloe shook her head dramatically. “No way, no sir! I will be the best, most responsible roommate Max has ever had! Right, Max?”_

_She opened her arms wide for a hug, and Max fell in to embrace her._

-Timeline #7 

* * *

Home sweet hell.

It used to be a safe place, where Chloe Price could go to relax, eat, and spend time with her family. That was when her dad was still alive, though. He had to go and get himself killed, and now she tried to waste her time literally anywhere else.

There was a reason Chloe avoided home like the plague, and that reason's name was David. Also known as: _Sgt. Pepper, Stepshit_ , _Fuckass_ , or whatever crass name she felt he deserved that day. He thought he could just march into her life and treat her like a soldier. Well, he could go fuck himself.

No one was home yet, thankfully, so Chloe had the place to herself, at least until Joyce finished work. David would get here soon after. She planned to lock herself in her room by then. Usually, as long as she kept her door shut and didn’t give stepshit any reason to bother her, he kept away. Of course, sometimes he decided that she _'needed a lesson'_ , and then anything went.

If she was lucky, today wouldn't be one of those days.

And she was feeling the luck today. Finally, something good had happened. Max had woken up, and as a bonus, she still had her powers, so that was something to look forward to for tomorrow.

After Max had said she needed some rest— _Not a break from you. She said she was fine—_ Chloe had made her way back to her house. After stopping for a burrito on the way, naturally. She'd be damned if she thought she'd make something in the kitchen this late.

The last time David came home while she was warming up leftovers, she hadn't gone back to the house for three days. Fortunately, her truck doubles as a bed in a pinch.

That wouldn’t be a problem today though. Chloe checked the hall clock— _enough time for a shower, thank fuck—_ and made her way to the bathroom. She hadn't washed herself in a week; she had spent all of her time either with Max or on one of her quick trips to home to _relax_.

Weed if she had some, her little tin box if not.

Though after Max had collapsed, her stash had lasted all of two days, and she didn't especially want to talk to Frank after what happened with _her,_ so she relied on her second technique.

Chloe stripped and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. The sight sickened her. Her hair was getting longer than she preferred and felt disgustingly greasy to the touch. She needed to redye her hair soon; her roots were coming in. The bruises on her side still hadn't healed, and the long, parallel scars over them sent flashes of pain whenever she stretched the wrong way.

At least she could clean up a little. If she took her shower quickly, she could be dressed and out the door before Joyce returned. They hadn't seen each other since they admitted Max to the hospital, and Chloe didn't feel the need to change that.

The soothing heat of the shower helped to get her mind off Joyce and David, so she let it wander. Of course, it immediately drifted to Max, and Chloe felt a searing pang of guilt over their meeting earlier. It's not that she felt Max couldn't handle the full story, but she didn't need to know all the rough parts so fast. It was obvious Max knew she was holding things back— _lying—_ but she never said as much outright. That was never her style.

And Max herself was so different. That week they spent together was amazing, and she had seemed like a totally new person. This Max who woke up was more like the girl who had left her those five years before. Chloe didn't know if that was a good thing yet.

It didn't matter anyway. Max's memories would come back soon like the doctors said, and she'd be back to her old new self.

Probably.

-~-

The sound of the front door closing knocked Chloe out of her thoughts.

 _Shit._ How long had she been in the shower? It was still as hot as she could stand, so it couldn't have been too long. _Idiot._ That's what she gets for trying to relax in this godforsaken place. There's no way would be David, right? She had memorized his schedule correctly; she hoped.

“Chloe? Is that you up there?” Joyce's voice drifted up from downstairs.

Best not to reply right now. She'd get cornered on her way out anyway.

Chloe rushed through the rest of her shower, making sure to focus on her matted hair. It was usually covered with a beanie, though, so she wasn't sure why she cared so much. Making her way across the hall to her room, she listened downstairs. From what she could hear, Joyce still hadn't come up, and if she heard Chloe exit, she didn't say so. The spicy smell of her food wafted upwards and made Chloe's stomach growl.

Her room was a mess, but that was nothing new. Chloe knew exactly where everything was. CDs on the shelf. Clothes on the floor. Boxes of stuff in the corner. Magazines... somewhere. Under the bed, probably? Scratch that, she knew where everything _important_ was.

Picking up some clothes strewn about, Chloe gave them a sniff. They smelled alright, so she tossed her towel to the side and got dressed.

Luckily she didn't have to bother cleaning anything up. It's not like anyone ever came over. No one except Max and Ra— _Nope_. _Not going down that line of thinking._

Max, at least, never seemed to care how her room looked. Oh sure, she'd complain about the mess when they were younger, but she also complained about the taste of broccoli, and that shit is _delicious,_ so who could trust her judgment _?_ Though ever since she came back from Seattle, she had had more important things on her mind, it seemed.

But this new Max wasn't anything like the once she ran into, so she might actually care if she came over. Chloe threw some of her jeans into a pile anyway; she'd wash them later.

Last order of business, her stash. She checked the spot where she kept it in her drawer. Nothing, just like the last three times. Right beside where her weed would be was the tin box that held her knives that she sometimes fell back on. Without thinking, she grabbed it and began to open it up, but stopped herself.

_No, I shouldn't. Max just woke up, and I won't have to see stepdouche. That makes a today a good day._

Chloe tossed the box back into the drawer and slammed it shut, choosing to get the temptation out of her sight before she changed her mind. Incredibly, she felt a little proud of herself in that moment; She never changed her mind after the idea came to her, though she always regretted the pain afterward. The decision sent an itch down her side like the ghost of a fingernail being drawn across her skin, but she could ignore it for now.

“Chloe! Come down here, sweetie. I want to talk to you.”

Joyce was still waiting, apparently. _'I want to talk'_ meant nothing good, no matter who it came from. Chloe debated climbing out the window as she usually did when someone was likely to stop her from the front door, but her chances of getting away unseen were low. It was best she just got it over with.

Her phone and wallet came out of the jeans she stripped off earlier, and she grabbed a hoodie off one of the boxes in the corner of the room. Earbuds were hiding in a pocket, as she expected, along with... a phone? Chloe pulled it out to see.

_Max's phone. Shit._

Chloe had forgotten that this was the coat she wore on that cliff when Max passed out. She had stuck the phone in her pocket for safekeeping, but was so caught up in everything else that it slipped her mind. She left it where it was; it would be useful later for contacting Max's friends.

Everything in order, Chloe left her room to make her way into the jaws of the she-beast.

Down the stairs, Joyce was making dinner, by pots and pans strewn about the counter. She usually started cooking when she made her way home, no matter the time so that David would have a warm plate to eat when he returned. Chloe only ate the cold leftovers nowadays, unless Joyce pressed her into eating _'as a family'_. As if. The family died with her dad.

“Yeah, Joyce?” Chloe began, eyeing the clock. David would be home soon, and she wouldn’t be caught dead here when he was.

“You could at least stand to call me 'Mom' once in a while, you know.”

“Fine.” Chloe rolled her eyes. “Yeah, _Mom_?”

Joyce gave a grunt at that. “It's a start, at least.”

“Did you need something? Or was that your whole lecture for today?”

“I'm not trying to lecture you, Chloe. I just don't want us fighting all the time.”

“Kick stepass to the curb first and then we'll talk.”

“He's not a bad man,” Joyce sighed. “Just been through a lot, is all. And you certainly aren't making anything easier, the way you antagonize him.”

More of this. It was the same conversation every time they talked. Joyce just refused to understand that her husband was bad for her and her daughter. She never listened to anything Chloe said, so this wasn't going anywhere useful.

“Look, I've got places to be, so if you're done, I'm leaving.”

“I just don't think it's healthy the way you're spending all your time waiting on Max. It's been almost two weeks, Chloe, and the doctors said they don't know when she'll wake up, if she ever does. You need to spend some time for yourself or with us. Please, sleep here tonight. I'm sure you'll be the first to know when she's awake.”

Chloe gave a soft sarcastic laugh at that. “You're right about that, Joyce. She woke up a few hours ago, and _I was there for her_. So don't tell me what I should or shouldn't be doing. I care about her, so I'm going to help her get back on her feet.”

She stomped out into the night, not even bothering to wait for a response.

Who did Joyce think she was, telling Chloe that she should just give up on Max? No one else bothered to wait with her, not even her parents. It tore Chloe up, watching Max shuffle around with no understanding of the world around her, responding only with involuntary sighs.

Luckily, she would never have to see Max like that again. Chloe would _not_ let her overuse her powers again. It was enough of a risk to tell her that in the first place. _Another mistake, you idiot._

The music blaring through Chloe's truck grew louder as she tried to wash away the negative thoughts.

Max was back. That was all that mattered.

-~-

On the road, Chloe considered where she could go.

The hospital had proved her resting place for the past two weeks, but Max needed some alone time, and Chloe was still technically not family, so that was out.

There was always her old hideout, but her memories of the place were still soured because of— _everything. Leave it at that, Chloe_.

The lighthouse? That worked as a fallback when she couldn't go anywhere else, but then Max went and ruined that for her too.

Chloe mentally berated herself again. _It's not her fault. Don't blame her. Even if she might have known it was coming._ It’s not like she could really ask her, could she?

The skate park would be locked up this late, and she didn’t especially want to explain to an officer why she had hopped the fence to sleep. The same could be said of Blackwell; Wells would probably call the police if she showed up again.

Chloe's aimless driving had brought her to the edge of town by this point, so she figured it would be a fine enough place to wait for tomorrow. She parked herself on the east side of the _Welcome to Arcadia Bay_ sign, so that the sun would wake her up, because _of course_ her phone was dead. Once again, she hadn't ahead enough to bring a charger.

Another problem for tomorrow.

-~-

Chloe didn't wake until noon the next day.

She had always been a heavy sleeper, and her dad had teased her about it, saying that ' _not even the end of the world could wake my little girl._ ' So, of course, it wasn't until the sun reflected directly into her eyes through the window that she would wake up.

From the back seat, Chloe rubbed the crust out of her eyes and sat up, sending a flash of pain through her side. _Yep. Don't lean that way, loser._

At least she didn't have another nightmare. They usually plagued her dreams when she least wanted them to, which was always. If she was lucky, they consisted of her dad imparting some fatherly wisdom before he burned away in a flame or got flattened by a truck. Recently though, her dreams focused mainly on Max and the fear that the one person who ever came back for her would die, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Well, her rest was uneventful, and she was up now, so Chloe only had to figure out what time it was and see how long she had to wait before meeting up with Max.

A quick look at the sun, however, showed that it was too high in the sky for her idea to have worked. Waking up with the sunrise had obviously failed, but she dug into her pocket to check the time anyway. She still hadn't woken all the way up, and when she pulled the phone out, the screen lit up to show _12:03_.

Wait... her phone was dead, right? It took her a moment for her vision to focus and notice that this was Max's phone, not her own.

_I could've just set the alarm on this one. Nice going._

By this point, she'd missed her promise of being at the hospital the moment it opened. Not that it was entirely bad, Max was probably sick of her anyway, especially since she did technically throw a glove full of water at her.

If she was going to show up this late, she should probably bring a friend, as she promised. Max's phone didn't have a lock on it, so Chloe went snooping through her contacts.

A check throughleft her with not much to go on. Most of the names she didn't recognize, probably old friends from Seattle. They'd find out later, so they could deal.

Some names, however, were from students at Blackwell, and those were the ones that Chloe focused on.

_Brooke and Warren? Not a chance, the way they look at Max._

_Bitchtoria can go fuck herself. Why does Max even have her number?_

_Taylor's alright, for a lackey, and she'd probably understand. Wasn't her mom in the hospital because of her back or something?_

She filed that idea for later. If she didn't find anyone else, at least Taylor would be sympathetic and give Max someone new to talk to.

Chloe kept scrolling, mentally crossing off names of people she either didn't know or didn't care to talk to. About halfway down the list, she finally came to someone who struck her as perfect to reintroduce to Max.

-~-

Kate hated her life.

She knew that it wasn't right to think that way, and God only sent hardships to people who could withstand it, but why did he have to give this life to her? She was a failure in the eyes of herself, her family, and Him, which only made her feel worse.

If she couldn't deal with these insignificant problems, what hope would she have in the real world? There were starving kids in Africa whose trouble outweighed hers, and yet she still thought she had it bad. It was selfish to think she was the only one who hurt.

It was almost noon, and the only way Kate knew was the clock by her bed, as the shades on the far side of the room were pulled down, cloaking the room in shadow. It had been like that for weeks.

She had yet to get dressed, or even get up today. Not that she was still sleepy, but rather incredibly _tired_. Tired of the people outside. Tired of the snide remarks. Tired of her life.

The memory of that Tuesday two and a half weeks ago still haunted her. Everything about her life had become too much, and she made the decision that circled through her brain every day. She had been so selfish, and it wasn't because she chose that path, but that Max had to be sucked into it as well. Max was too kind for this world.

She had been such an amazing friend for Kate, and now she was sitting alone in a hospital. Even though Kate couldn't drag herself down there to be there for her, she still prayed every day that she would get better.

Would God really punish such a wonderful person like that? Obviously, he would, because he had.

Though Kate was afraid to admit it, Max's pain was the real reason she was still around. When Max wakes up, she would be devastated if she had to learn that her saving of Kate's life hadn't been enough. If she let the darkness overtake her again, no one would be there to save her.

It was almost relieving, knowing that. Her life was entirely in her hands, and so far, she had been strong enough not to fall back again. But she was still weak for failing at all.

The constant back-and-forth within Kate's mind occupied her days. She should be in class, but with the state of the school, no one bothered to make her go. She should shower, but what was the point if she didn't talk to anyone? She should love herself, but what if she deserved the hate?

Despite the situation with Mr. Jefferson vindicating Kate's behavior at the party several weeks ago, she could still hear the whispers of ' _whore'_ and _'slut'_ drifting through the halls. If she went out there she'd only be met with harsh words from Victoria and her friends, along with some hateful message on her board. So she stayed right where she was.

At least until a _knock-knock_ came banging from her door, and a familiar voice called through.

“Hey... Kate? You in there?”

She thought about staying silent. People usually gave up and left her alone after a few tries, but what was _Chloe_ doing here? Wells had expelled her a couple years ago, from what she heard.

“Come in.” she croaked, then curled up into a coughing fit. She hadn't spoken in days, and her throat was dry.

Kate hoped that the door was unlocked, because she truly did not want to get out of bed right now. Thankfully for her, it was. The entrance swung open, sending a blinding mass of light from the hall outside through her room, causing Kate to pull the cover over her head to block it out. It was only there for a moment, yet it still bothered Kate more than she cared to admit. She was beginning to prefer the dark.

Her room must have been a pitiful sight, with books lying on the ground, her violin on her sofa out of its case, and a small pile of unwashed clothes in the corner. Chloe didn't seem to care, though, as she slowly walked over to where Kate lay.

“Hey there, Katie. You doing okay?” She spoke softly, trying not to startle her.

Kate only gave a grunt in response. She didn't want to be holding a conversation now. Why did she let her in? Should she just tell Chloe to leave?

“Yeah, I know it's rough,” Chloe continued, sitting on the edge of the bed, careful not to touch the lump on the bed that was Kate. “Sorry I haven't been around much, but I got some good news.”

No response this time; Kate doubted it would be anything important. If it was, Chloe would have texted her. Though with the dozen unread messages on her phone, maybe she had.

“I was with Max yesterday, and she's up and talking again. Said she wanted to see you.”

That got a rise out of her. She had been waiting for Max to wake, if only to know that God really cared. Were her prayers were being answered? She pulled the cover off and looked directly into Chloe's eyes, searching for the lie.

“She's awake? Really?”

“Yeah, Kate. Really really.”

“Can we go see her? Is that okay?”

“Of course. That's why I came to get you. Do you think you're alright to take a shower and get dressed? I can wait outside if you want, and we can drive over to the hospital together.”

Chloe was serious. This wasn't a lie. She was actually going to see Max awake and talking; her personal angel saved. Kate simply couldn't take the smile off of her face if she tried.

“I think I would like that, if it’s not a problem. Thank you so much for this.” Her voice was stronger now, and more energy came out through her words.

"Any time, Kate. Just for you."

Kate was left alone in her room once again. Another wave of light flooded in as Chloe exited, but it didn't seem as painful as the last one.

Maybe things would be okay after all. Maybe God wanted them both to live.

With Max’s light, maybe the darkness wouldn’t hurt her anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These kids aren't alright.
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Next Chapter: 7-21


	4. Another Worry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Description of a panic attack.

_"I love you, Max."_

_"I love you too, Chloe."_

-Timeline #11

* * *

It was already three o'clock, and Chloe still hadn't shown up. She had said she'd be here ' _as soon as they let me in_ ', but visiting hours opened several hours ago. Max was becoming a little worried.

She was ready to be out of here the moment she could, but the hospital refused to allow it. Max supposed it was somewhat fortunate that Chloe hadn't arrived yet; she had spent her morning talking to doctors and waiting in MRIs, and it was unlikely that Chloe would appreciate the wait for her to return every half hour.

Her parents had shown up earlier and doted on her exactly as much as Max expected. They gave the usual _how do you feel, honey_ 's and _you will get better, I'm sure_ 's they always did when she had any sort of accident. Though this was far worse than anything that had happened before, maybe she could let them indulge this once.

The doctors that surrounded her occasionally began to blend together. Their faces and names were unimportant, though their work certainly was.

They continued their effort, and the combination of constant questions and many tests caused the morning to seem to fly by for Max. This was the opposite of what she expected, considering that she had been using her powers to rewind or stop time, just to get the practice in.

Max felt slightly guilty for promising that she wouldn't use them again, but it was just _so much fun_. She started small, just a few seconds backward at a time, but grew to see how far she could push it. She only risked the large rewinds after the tests were finished—no need to let any weird stuff show up in their scans.

She discovered that at most, her rewind could take her back as far as roughly two-and-a-half minutes. After that point, no matter if she could stand the headache that grew with every reversed moment, everything halted. Max didn't know if that was some cosmic hard limit or simply the furthest she could push with her minimal training. Only time would tell.

And it seemed she would get it. The doctors either seemed confident that whatever caused her vegetative state was no longer a problem, or the neutral looks they pasted onto their faces meant that they were clueless. With what Max knew, though she didn't understand the slightest jargon they spout out, she guessed the second one.

More waiting. That seemed to be the theme of her stay so far. Waiting for a nurse. Waiting on results. Waiting for some machine to be free.

Soon enough, she even lost her only source of enjoyable conversation. Her parents ' _simply had to leave_ ' once they finished their obligatory questioning and doting. They weren't dismissive, just ready to get back to Seattle. Their offers to bring Max back with them to the hospitals up there were met with summary rejection.

Why would Max want to leave? She was getting fine enough care here _—not for long;_ she hoped—she had school to finish, and her friends still needed to see her. Max wished that they would stay, and even said as much, but in turn, they refused. They claimed that her father had already missed too much work, but they would try to come back down as soon as possible.

So they stay in Arcadia Bay for two weeks, just to leave the day they see her? It was slightly unlike them, usually, she couldn't shake them off at all, but maybe they had had a change of priorities in the past few years.

That consideration stuck in Max's mind like gum. The two people she was confident she knew the best and could rely on as an anchor when life tossed her around were now as much as a stranger to her as she was to them. Did she act as different as they did? Maybe she was the one out of character.

She _had_ lost her memory from the past several years, and she supposed one could expect to be different after that. A person was only the sum of their life, right? Something as drastic as that was bound to be trouble, but it seemed to be the least of everyone else's problems. The doctors focused on the things they could fix, she supposed, which meant that this was her own ordeal.

The most they had done regarding her missing memory were some placement tests over various subjects, including Math, English, and Science. Her scores revealed something interesting, in that though Max couldn't remember specifically learning any of these subjects to the college level they tested her on, she still had the knowledge within her. They said that it was another good sign towards her memory eventually returning, but Max wasn't convinced.

If time travel was the true cause of the problem, then would it be possible that parts of her brain had gotten lost in time? Maybe excessive use of her powers eroded her memory, or the headaches were her mind adapting to a new reality. She had seen a movie with that exact premise, and the ending was _definitely_ not a happy one. Just like the doctors, she had no idea what would happen.

Another worry added to the pile, Max tried to find a way to relax to pass the time; still no books or television in sight. Should she have asked for a magazine at least? The room obviously wasn't hiding a _Playstation_ somewhere, so she had nothing _._ Again. The only thing to accompany her was the rapid _thu-thump_ _thu-thump thu-thump_ of her own heartbeat.

Did her heart always beat that fast?

It didn't matter. Nothing to focus on, nothing to occupy her but worries and problems. It was too much. She didn't know what to do. This entire situation: her memory loss, the hospital, Chloe missing, her parents leaving, _everything._ Why did it all have to be so hard? Why did she have to go at it alone? _Where was everyone?_

The world around her faded into a pinprick as these thoughts raced through her brain. She tried to tackle them one at a time, slowly unraveling and solving each one in order, but the chaotic rattling of her mind made it impossible to do so.

_Was that headache always there?_

To Max, her body didn't even exist. At some point, everything had become a dull haze, and anything other than her hands and her head was only a faint tingle that barely registered to her. The blinding pressure crushed the back of her head, and her hands themselves felt as if they were falling off; they trembled so harshly.

Logically, she knew she wasn't dying, but the crushing sense of unease and uncertainty that overwhelmed her made that difficult to believe. Her body was tight, eyes closed, as if a single wrong move would be enough to unwind her completely, so Max stayed still for as long as she dared, her breaths shallow and quick.

Too soon, she felt a thin hand begin to snake its way around her neck, halting her breathing. It wasn't real; she knew. _It wasn't real._ Max knew how to deal with this. It had happened before, but those times weren't important. Just focus on something here and now—anything, before the hurricane takes you and you're swept away.

Max heard herself saying something, the sound so muffled she couldn't make out any meaning from it, but details didn't matter. It proved she was still alive, so she took that fact and pried through the storm in her brain to think of a way to ground herself.

Zen yoga was a thing that worked, right? It was worth a shot. The only problem was, she wasn't in a good headspace to be standing, let alone do any yoga, so she just threw her arms out at right angles, made shaking circles with her index fingers and thumbs, and tried to _humm_ from her core, like some Indian guru she'd seen on TV.

Slowly, though Max had no expectation to accomplish anything at all before she lost herself once more, she began to feel slightly calmer. She focused on the noise she created and on how the vibrations radiated through her body.

Her arms fell to her side—they weren't doing anything useful—and felt how the sheets rippled slightly as she moved her shoulders with each shuddering breath. The sunlight fell calmly over her bed from the window outside, and she could feel its soothing glow through her closed eyes.

She tried to think of one more thing around her, and settled on the texture of the pillow below her back. Sitting up, it pressed into her from below, providing cushioning from the uncomfortably rough bed. The soft pillow was definitely Max's saving grace from the scratchiness below her, though she doubted it would be necessary had the bed they provided any useful support or comfort whatsoever.

The realization that she was finally thinking about the texture of the bed she was sitting on, of all things, brought a sigh of relief to Max. Only something as boring as that could prove that she had finally gotten into control of herself.

More time passed as Max focused on the surrounding sensations. She didn't know how long she had been stuck in her mind, smothered by her own brain, let alone how much longer she had spent calming herself down, but at the moment it didn't matter one bit.

It felt long enough that it was surprising that no nurse had come in, if only because of her elevated heart rate. Perhaps it hadn't been as long as she thought.

Situations as serious as those were rare but not unheard of for Max. She hated the way they made her feel helpless, and even more how they snuck up on her. Fortunately, however, this one had passed quietly enough, and she felt confident enough to open her eyes again, ready to take a moment to think about her issues properly.

Except now, two people were in her room.

-~-

Chloe, she recognized, was leaning on the wall next to the chair by the doorway. She had on the same jeans as yesterday, judging from the tears and stains, but had thrown on a jacket since the last time Max saw her.

Whispering to her was someone Max didn't know. Or more likely, didn't remember.

As opposed to Chloe's jittery bouncing, clearly unable to stand still for any length of time, the girl beside her was far more composed. She had her hands crossed in front of her while she sat and focused her attention entirely on Chloe.

This new girl's long hair was up in a neat bun and she had a uniform with a patch on the front— _Blackwell?_ —but what immediately struck Max were the rings under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept for days. She didn't seem unwell other than that, but it was difficult not to notice compared to the rest of her.

Unlike before, when Max had the opportunity to take her time to muster up the courage to start a conversation, the two quickly noticed her.

"Hey! Welcome back to the land of the livi-er, waking. Didn't want to ruin your beauty sleep, y'know?" Chloe quickly moved past her poor wording and waved toward the stranger.

The new girl spoke slowly and softly, taking care not to stumble over her words.

"Hello, Max. My name's Kate Marsh. Chloe told me all about what happened, and I was so worried. I'm so sorry that you had to deal with this, but I'm here to help however I can."

This... was not what Max expected. She thought Chloe would bring someone more _loud_ , just like she was. Kate seemed to be the exact opposite of that, careful and quiet where Chloe was risky and noisy.

It definitely wasn't unwelcome. Max loved her conversation with Chloe, but she had the feeling that two people with that much _energy_ within them would be a bit too much to handle. This, however, she could do.

"Hi, Kate. Uh... I guess you already know that I'm Max," she began, a sheepish grin on her face, "but it's good to meet you, anyway!"

"It's good to meet you too." Kate's smile was so bright and infectious as she spoke. "Chloe tells me that you don't quite remember much. That's okay! I'm here for whatever you want to know, but I can start at the beginning if you would like?"

"That sounds great. I definitely feel like I'm missing so many things I should know. I'd like to hear some about you, I think. I could use another friend to talk to."

"Any time you want! Now, for the short version..." Kate took a moment to think. "We met the day you came to Blackwell. I was sitting alone at a table and you were nice enough to start a conversation with me. You were truly so sweet and kind, asking about me, even though we had never met. Fortunately, we had a class together too, so I always had you to look out for me."

That certainly didn't sound like Max. Seeking out a conversation? On her _first day_? Though she was incredibly glad she had made a friend, it was somewhat of a shame that she couldn't imagine feeling the confidence to actually do it.

Kate continued. "The other students at Blackwell were... a little rude. They didn't approve of my religion, my clothing, or anything about me in general. Then recently, there was a terrible situation where because of—"

"Yeah, the Blackwell kids are little pricks," Chloe interrupted, "but they can go suck it. That whole deal isn't important now, _right Kate_?"

Kate seemed slightly surprised at the interruption, but didn't say anything. The two of them shared a heavy look that must have conveyed some hidden meaning that Max didn't catch.

Another detail that Chloe was pointedly hiding from Max, and she barely tried to pretend this time. This evasion was becoming annoying. Did Chloe not trust her or think she could handle it?

With Kate here, and given that she almost let something slip, Max tried to press again. She just wanted one answer.

"Well, I kind of want to know what happened, if that's alright with you Kate. If this is serious, I want to help you as much as you want to help me. I know what it’s like to be bullied by insecure people."

Both Max and Chloe looked at Kate, waiting to see if she would tell. Chloe had her eyes wide and looked directly at her, shaking her head the most minute amount, which Max noticed.

Kate glanced between the two of them several times, then sighed.

"I'm very sorry Chloe, but I should let her know. I want her to understand, and hiding this won't help her. I would rather she learn from us than from the other students at campus who might not understand the entire story."

Chloe didn't answer, but only pursed her lips and listened.

"Back during the semester, I was caught on video in a very precarious situation. I went to a Blackwell party, and only had a small sip of wine, but I couldn't remember anything else about the evening. There was a video taken of me losing control and kissing people, something I would never do."

"Oh no." Max had an inkling of an idea of what could have caused that.

Kate's eyes glazed over slightly as she continued. "I swore it wasn't me in that video, even though it clearly was. On that Friday, we learned that I had been drugged by one of the Blackwell faculty who was in the building. It was discovered that he had a history of drugging girls and taking photos of them while they were unconscious, and I was his victim."

By this point, tears had begun to fall from Kate's face. Her crying was silent, but she continued, voice choking through the tears.

“I don’t remember much about that night. Only flashes of light and faint voices, but once I found out, it all made sense. He _violated_ me. Not physically, I think, but knowing that he did those things…”

  
Her story became too much for her, and the wave of tears was forceful enough that she couldn't continue, so Chloe leaned down to hold Kate as she filled in the final details.

"That _shithead_ even killed an innocent girl from Blackwell. I didn't really want to bring this up right now, but yeah. You don't need to worry though, he's rotting in jail and they say prison is a guarantee. He's not gonna hurt anyone ever again, right Kate?"

Kate only sniffled in response. Max could see the tears had slowed, but not stopped completely.

"I'm really sorry," Max said. "I shouldn't have pressed about something as sensitive as that."

"It's not your fault," Chloe replied, "you didn't know how much of a shitshow this whole semester has been so far. The whole year, really. Just... give us a minute, alright?"

Max nodded as Chloe pulled Kate up and outside the room. Kate was huddled underneath Chloe's arm as she walked with her head down. On their way out, Max saw how physical Chloe was, holding Kate close and patting her hair down soothingly. They were whispering again, but it was too faint to make out.

Max hoped Kate would be okay.

-~-

"Hey, Kate. Listen to me, alright?"

Kate gave a small nod. She was listening; that was good. When words went right past her is when Chloe knew that she needed to break out the big guns.

"So first off, I'm going to apologize. I shouldn't have let you go down like that. I should have just stopped it right there, so that's on me. You weren't ready to talk about what happened, and that's okay. But you gotta stay strong for Max."

Another nod.

"She's in there right now, worried sick about you, and I know that everything is weird with her not knowing all this even though we've talked about it, but she's still the same Max. She's still the sweet, caring friend she's always been."

At last, Kate responded, her voice only a whisper. "But... what if she realizes that it's my fault? I was the one who went to the party. I was the one who should have been more careful. I-"

" _No._ This isn't on you. Not one bit, Kate. We talked about this, remember? It's only that piece of garbage Jefferson to blame. And I guarantee you Max won't ever think this is your fault."

Kate looked up at Chloe. Progress. "Maybe... what if she doesn't want to be friends? She doesn't know me anymore."

"Kate. You know Max. You know that Max loves you and wants you to be happy. Look at what just happened; she wanted to know about the video so she could _talk_ to you about it. Not for any blackmail or bullying or crap like that."

The tears had stopped falling now. "She truly is an angel, isn't she? Even when she barely knows us."

"You got that right. She's saved us both too many times, I think. A certifiable badass.

Though Kate was never one for cursing, that one got a laugh out of her. It was a lovely sound, one that Chloe could stand to hear more often. This was the Kate that Chloe wanted to see, the Kate who spoke with conviction and would never let anyone knock her down, especially herself.

"That's exactly it, Chloe. A _badass_."

"Yeah! Go, Kate!" Chloe said, throwing up and quickly receiving a high-five. "Now let's get you washed up. Don't want to keep our guardian angel waiting."

-~-

The two of them were out of sight for about five minutes, and Max spent that time mulling over how much of an _idiot_ she was. Of course Chloe had a good reason for not bringing up whatever she had glossed over. She was just trying to ease people's feelings, and Max had to go and bring it up anyway.

Though with how many holes were in Chloe's big story, a worry nestled itself inside Max's brain regarding the number of bad things that could have happened around her. Would she be met with some other horrible news the next time she asked? Every time after that, too?

Luckily, Chloe and Kate returned soon enough. Kate had cleaned up her face a little, having washed away the tear streaks, though her hair was slightly disheveled. At this point, that didn't matter. Max just needed to apologize.

"Kate, I am so so sorry that I asked you to bring that up. I never meant to make you uncomfortable. I should have listened to Chloe when she knew this was a terrible idea. I won’t make you relive that ever again. Can you please forgive me?"

"Oh Max, of course I can. I will always forgive you."

Kate walked up to the bed, arms wide, but stopped before embracing her. With a nod from Max, Kate leaned down all the way so they could hold each other.

"It's not your fault. You didn't know what you were asking, but I'm glad you know now, because you and Chloe were the only ones who were there for me when that video came out."

They broke the hug, and Kate settled back down into the chair by the bed close to Max, while Chloe pulled over the further one by the door.

Max now had two people that she could call friends, and it was a relieving experience, even if she had only known them for a short time. Friendship was always a rough aspect of her life, and they came few and far between. There was that gaping hole in her life, and now that it was being filled, she felt complete.

"Totally," Chloe said. "We're all here for each other, and any problems we have we can always talk about, no matter what."

The three of them all nodded in agreement, yet each knew that their own promise was a lie.

-~-

For the remainder of the visiting hours, the three of them shied away from difficult topics and focused solely on letting Max learn more about the other two. The topics they covered ranged from _favorite bands_ to _the_ _most enjoyable movie_ to _objective best dessert_ , and many others in between. Max and Kate agreed readily on chocolate cupcakes being most delicious, much to the chagrin of Chloe's love of pumpkin pie.

Though the conversation was enlightening, Max felt a strong sense of one-sidedness. Chloe and Kate knew Max better than she knew them, and sometimes they would forget that, referring to people and things that they expected her to understand, then backpedaling with an apology when they realized she didn't.

Max couldn't blame them for being caught up in the moment, but she did wonder who some of these people they mentioned were.

Occasionally, Chloe would cut in with an answer for Max, saying her opinion on something before she could herself. It was slightly aggravating, having to remind Chloe that she would like to give her own opinion, only for Chloe to become too caught up in the game to remember a few minutes later. She was usually right, however, but managed to incorrectly guess Max's favorite breakfast—a bacon omelet, not a Belgian waffle, as Chloe thought.

After that mistake, Chloe was careful to let Max answer for herself.

The time they spent learning about each other was the happiest Max had been since she had woken up. By the end, it was almost as if she had known them for years, just as she had before. Unfortunately, the day became late much faster than she wanted, and it was time for Chloe and Kate to leave before a nurse kicked them out.

"But we'll definitely be back tomorrow, Supermax." Chloe leaned in to give Max another crushing hug, and Kate joined them, her hold much more gentle. "Hopefully we can convince those nerds taking care of you to let you go, right?"

“Everyone will be so happy to have you back," Kate said. "I know school is the last thing you want to think about, but I've been keeping notes for you when you're ready. Some of your classes I'm not great at, but it should be better than nothing."

Max was once again amazed at how caring the two of them were, and though they had both been nothing but kind, a worry sat in the back of her mind like a lead ball. Had they done something they felt the need to make up for? Was their friendship just another lie to ruin her?

She recognized these irrational thoughts and pushed them aside. They wouldn't go away completely so easily, but rather lurk in the sidelines of her mind. Those would have to be dealt with later, along with all those other worries from earlier.

Maybe she should ask for some professional. This hospital could probably refer her to one, she thought. Her parents had always entertained the idea when Max had her attacks, but she refused every time. And now, with her powers? She could never go into that without being tossed in a padded room. No, she would deal with this herself.

Max snapped out of her reflection and saw that Kate and Chloe were giving her a strange look. She hadn't responded, right.

"Of course, you two. The sooner I can get out of here, the better. And thank you, Kate, for keeping up with classes for me. I'm sure when I start again it will be like I wasn't even gone."

"Yeah, Maxi... You get better, and do what you need to." Chloe still had that worried look on her face, as if she wanted to say something else, but led Kate out the door without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bacon Omelet > Belgian Waffle fight me
> 
> If you didn't know, I am a lexivore. I live off of comments and criticism, so throw whatever thoughts or questions you have down below. They give me motivation.
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Next Chapter: 7-25


	5. Thousand-yard Stare

_"It doesn't make any sense, Max. Something as big as this doesn't just show up out of nowhere with no warning. The weathermen should've seen it coming, right? Weird air pressure or temperature readings or whatever."_

_"I guess... maybe sometimes these things are just unpredictable."_

_"Maybe. It's a good thing our camping trip got cut short, anyway. Wouldn't want to be the sucker who gets caught in that nasty thing."_

_"Do you think anyone was?"_

_"Nah, the folks at the lodge told me we would be the only ones out there. Something about bears, I dunno."_

_"Bears? There was a bear problem and you didn't say anything!?"_

_"Max, it's a forest. There's always a bear problem. Except this one was more that they were all gone. Only people who ever go out there are super nerds who study animals all day for a living. No animals, no people."_

_"Well, we also went out there to stare at animals all day. Doesn't that make us nerds too?"_

_"Yeah. Sure we're nerds, but not super nerds like those guys."_

_"And why not, exactly?"_

_"Cause we don't get paid to dig in bear shit."_

-Timeline #22 

* * *

Max took some time to sort through what she knew, and remembered how her days at school were spent all alone, trying to make herself as small and unnoticeable as possible.

The only specific thing she could call to mind was the cacophony of the lunchroom she ate in during sixth grade. At the corner of the cafeteria, she could hear numerous conversations bouncing around, and if she focused closely, she could make out the voices of specific people.

There were the deep tones of the bullies and the troublemakers trying to sound older than they were. The nasal gasps of those they picked on. The exasperated sighs of those who just didn't care. If one cared to listen, they could put everyone into neat little groups.

Of course, that early, none of the kids figured out who exactly they wanted to be. There was still time for them to change: jock to a nerd, friendly to dismissive, cowardly to brave. Max always hoped she would grow into herself, like some shy butterfly.

Unfortunately, it had never happened that way. She was destined to always be a loner, constantly drawing the ire of bullies. The news that she and her family were moving to Seattle was the best news she could have imagined.

Would she reinvent herself? No longer _Maxine the Outcast_ , but rather _Max the Artist_. Or at the very least, _Max the Kind-of-Pretty-Cool_. She hoped she had, but with no memory at all of her time in Seattle, and Chloe not knowing anything that happened up there, that hope was all she relied on.

Max imagined that up in Seattle, she had friends. Maybe she wasn't the most popular girl in school—that wasn't what she ever wanted—but the students there were friendly and understanding. Having people to talk to could only help, right?

Apparently, she had Chloe back then. Though try as she might, Max couldn't place her anywhere in her memories. With a friend as close as Chloe, was she still really a loner? Max knew that she had thought herself with no friends back then, but was that how it truly happened?

Her mind must be playing tricks on her. Without having everything sorted neatly so she could remember it, her memories had become jumbled. Before Chloe, she had been so alone. It was the _after_ that she wished she could remember.

Now that she thought about it again, she had the memory of always sitting outside during lunch. There was a courtyard, she remembered, with a table under a shady tree that was perfect for warm days.

So what was that memory of a loud cafeteria? Was it from earlier, before she met Chloe? After, from her time in Seattle?

None of that made any sense. There was a chance this memory was fake, something she conjured up from her imagination. She knew that the human mind created false memories to fill in gaps, which she certainly had enough of.

It also wasn't like the memories were completely missing; she had still lived them. From what Chloe and Kate had mentioned, she still acted like an eighteen-year-old girl, even if almost everything older than six years was a blank.

 _One more attempt, Max._ She thought to herself. _Let's try Seattle. What do you know?_

Between the pits within her mind came only broad concepts.

Space Needle. Green tent. A missing shoe. Home alone. Shower drain. Fernando's.

None of these thoughts had any meaning. They were just _things_ with nothing behind them or tying them together.

It was more than she had yesterday, so Max considered it a minor victory. With enough trying like this, she should have everything back in only several lifetimes. Perfect.

-~-

The next few days passed without incident. Max's days comprised of more questionnaires, brain scans, and blood work. In between, however, were the moments that made the wait worth it.

Chloe and Kate came by every day, the minute Kate finished with class. Apparently, she hadn't been going as much as she should have, so she had brought in homework to finish while they talked. When Max asked why, she only replied that she had been too worried about her to focus. It made sense, so Max didn't push.

Their conversations were never over anything important, and Chloe was reluctant to talk any more about Blackwell. After that disastrous conversation the first day they both showed up together, Max thought that was a smart idea. She would learn more about everything soon enough, anyway.

Importantly, Max discovered that Chloe was the one who had her phone. She had taken it with her when Max had been admitted and had grabbed it while she was home. It was the same brand as the one Max remembered having, just a few models newer. The colorful butterfly case felt exactly like the one she would choose, given the chance _._

Her phone back, Max waited until the nurses kicked Chloe and Kate out to look inside, ready to discover more about her life.

The first thing that appeared to her was the background. An inspirational quote, surrounded by flowers.

_"Art is like reading a good book, only you decide how it is going to end."_

_This was definitely Max's phone._

The apps within were nothing special: programs to help with school, a few downloaded books that seemed interesting, and a couple of games to pass the time.

 _Finally_. She was at last free of this inhumane torture of being _bored out of her mind_. Chloe was truly her savior.

Last, Max checked her text conversations. This is what would reveal the most to her about Old Max. She would learn who her other friends were and what they talked about. Possibly one of them would be from Seattle, and she could ask them about her life up there.

The list of conversations was more dearth than she expected, but it did provide some insight. As expected, all the most recent messages were worried questions. The latest was sent a couple of weeks ago, right after she had collapsed. It seemed word traveled fast, and people wanted to send their well-wishes as soon as possible.

Max figured that the ones with only a single message from that time and nothing before probably weren't from anyone she was close with. Some people just want to seem caring when bad things happened, even if they didn't _actually_ care. Especially then, even.

Her message list with Chloe was short; mostly _where are you_ 's and _meet me at the diner_ 's. That made sense, Chloe had said they spent most of the week together. Not much reason to text each other in that situation.

Kate's conversation seemed more typical. It began with the two of them making plans for study groups and things such as that, and apparently also tea dates? Kate had said she loved tea. Max preferred coffee, but it was likely her tastes had changed over the years.

What caught Max's eye, however, was the lengthy message that ended their conversation. It was from October 11th, as most of the others.

**Kate:** _Max, I heard what happened, and I am so sorry. I heard that Chloe was with you, and I am forever thankful that she was. I don't know what I would do if I lost you. You saved me, something that you didn't need to do. Something that at the time I didn't even want you to do. But you did anyway. Right now, I’m not sure where I stand with the Lord, but I hope that he can look after you still. I will pray for you every day, I promise. I'll try to come and see you. It's difficult some days, but it always gets easier knowing that you're there. Please text me when you wake._

Kate was truly an angel, but some things she said worried Max. Saved her? Did she mean from whoever drugged her? It didn't sound like anyone had saved her back then.

Max thought about bringing it up the next time Kate came by but decided against it. She didn't want to drag up any harsh memories again. It was unfair to make her relive that terrible time once, and she would not do it a second time.

The rest of the conversations in her phone didn't tell as much as Max had hoped. There were a few names that she filed away for later, but no one other than Kate seemed to be so close. All the others were either obligatory worries or those who only seemed to be acquaintances from class. Unwilling project partners at the most.

Annoyingly, none of the messages went back further than a couple of months. From what Max guessed, she had gotten a new phone at that point, and nothing from before carried over, which meant that what she saw was all she had.

From what she read, none of the people she had texted were from Seattle, but then again Max wasn't sure how she'd tell. She looked for anything from the earlier period saying _good luck with the move!_ or _have fun in Arcadia!_ or similar, but nothing seemed immediately obvious. It was slightly unfortunate, but all in all, not a huge problem. She'd find another way to learn about her life in Seattle, somehow.

Glancing up at the clock, Max realized that she'd been browsing through her phone for over two hours, and the battery agreed. That was enough sleuthing for one day, she supposed. She could wait until she was finally able to leave this hospital to learn more, though having to catch up with classes might put a damper on that. At least Kate was there to help. Chloe too, but Max didn't know how much she would help, considering that Blackwell had expelled her for ' _sticking up for a friend_ ' as she said.

All that was left to do was wait. She set the phone up to charge, and settled down to sleep, ready for another long day. She couldn't hope, but if she was lucky, that would be the day they send her home.

-~-

On Sunday, November 3rd, Max was finally given the green light to leave the hospital. Doctor Hamlin gave her the usual spiel of telling her to call him if she felt any pain in her head _whatsoever_. He tried to make it as strict and intimidating as possible, but the effect was lost when he had to stop and cough after pushing out an entire paragraph in one breath.

Once again, she tuned out as he spoke. The gist of it was easy enough to gather. Check-in in a week. Call if there's any pain. Cleared for school.

That last one caught Max's attention. Truthfully, she had been worried that she wouldn't be able to return to Blackwell once she could leave. But thanks to the stellar grades on the cognitive tests she had taken, and the theory that a familiar schedule would help her memory, she could be allowed to attend class. Principal Wells had even already signed off on it, so there was no doubt.

The excitement of the new boiling within her, Max waited outside the hospital. It was a fine day; well enough to walk, if only her dorm not been several miles away. She could have taken the bus, but Chloe had jumped at the chance to drive her to Blackwell. Max couldn't say she hated that idea. Public transportation was never fun. The multitude of strangers always made her uneasy.

Max had never actually seen Chloe's truck, but she knew that it was a ' _rusted piece of shit'_ , as Chloe described it. It sounded like hyperbole, but watching the vehicle rumble up to the parking lot spewing smoke cast doubt on that theory. Luckily she was already at a hospital; she might need a tetanus shot.

"Hey, nerd! Hop in! We got places to do, things to be and all that jazz."

Despite it looking like an almost certain deathtrap from the outside, the inside was... homey. That was the only word to describe the beer cans tossed wildly about and graffiti marking the cabin. Half a bottle of hair dye? Chloe clearly hadn't attempted to clean up her truck. At least, Max hoped so.

The Elvis on the dashboard bobbed as they drove away, and the chain of strange _stuff_ swung around with each turn. A red feather, a skull, and a pentagram charm. Very punk. The heavy metal blaring from the radio only added to the aesthetic.

"So..." Chloe began, turning the music down, "What're you feeling? It's still kinda early, so we could hit up some food if you're hungry. Could drive you around town too, let you get the lay of the land. Or we can head back to Blackwell if you'd rather."

All three seemed enticing, but with the news that she would start class the next day, it was a better idea to save the exploring for later.

"I would say food, but they gave me lunch before I left. I think we should head back to Blackwell. Class starts tomorrow, and we might see Kate too."

"They're gonna let you go back? Hell yeah, Max! I told you!"

"You sure did, but I'm honestly a little scared. I won't understand what's going on or who anyone is."

"That's not a problem. It'll be like the first day of school all over again, you just gotta meet new people and hit the ground running."

"Except I'm terrible at exactly those two things."

"Don't be like that, Maxi." Chloe reached over to slap a hand on Max's shoulder. "You'll do great. And if any of those assholes give you shit, let me know. I'll knock 'em flat, just for you."

"How sweet of you, protecting me from the horrors of high school."

"You got that right. I'm sweet _as fuck_."

-~-

Chloe pulled in to the parking lot, incredibly managing to take up three different spots with her truck at once.

"Do you really have to park like that?" Max asked.

"No, but there's no one here, anyway; they won't care. Even if they do, what're they gonna do? Ticket me? I got a whole scrapbook of 'em already."

She was right about there being no one parked. Most students had probably either gone home for the weekend or just weren't here for various reasons. On a Sunday, people wanted to enjoy the remnants of the break from class.

Chloe waved Max along, and they passed into a large courtyard surrounding a fountain. In the center was a bronze statue of an important-looking man. The plaque beneath it was faded, but still legible.

_Jebediah Blackwell_

_Founder of Blackwell Academy_

There were several groups of people wandering around, engrossed in conversation, but they didn't pay Max or Chloe any mind. The atmosphere was calm for the moment, though Max didn't doubt that when classes began tomorrow, this area would be a rush of people and sound.

The signs pointed the way to the Prescott Dormitory, where Chloe said that her room was, but before they traveled too far a call from the front steps of the school stopped them.

"Maxine!"

Chloe gave an _ah shit_ under her breath as a man in an off-gray suit quickly strolled up to the two of them. He had a tough, stern face that looked as if someone had etched it from dark stone, and his voice was just as firm.

"And... Ms. Price." He gave a small acknowledgment to Chloe without turning his body, then continued speaking to Max. "It is great to see you back on your feet, and most importantly, well enough to return to Blackwell Academy."

The man's solid visage frightened Max slightly, but she nodded her head and replied. "Thank you. You must be Principal Wells. It's nice to meet you, sir."

"Thank you, Maxine. I have been informed as to the extent of your injuries, and I would like to let you know that I, and Blackwell as a whole, are here to help you in any way we can. We are at your disposal for whatever you need, so long as you also fulfill your duty of working with us and doing what is required and expected of you."

"Uh... thank you, sir. That's very kind of you. But I think right now Chloe and I would like to get settled if that's okay."

At this, Wells turned to Chloe, who cowered slightly under his gaze. "Of course. You and Ms. Price are free to do whatever you need. I only hope that she will be a valuable and positive influence on you."

"Ah, yeah." Chloe's voice wavered slightly as she spoke. "Nothing but good vibes here, right Max?"

Max nodded her head in reply, and Wells seemed satisfied.

"Very well. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need anything at all, Maxine."

With that, he turned and walked back up the steps into the building.

"Thank fuck that asshole's gone. Let's get outta here before we run into someone else that wants to interrogate us."

Max agreed. That was slightly unsettling in the way Wells acted towards Chloe, but it made some sense, seeing as how he specifically expelled her. Honestly, she probably shouldn't even be on campus.

The dorms weren't too far, so the two made their way past the next yard into the building without running into anyone else.

-~-

Though Max hadn't seen what her room looked like, she instinctively knew that it was hers. Everything about it, from the posters advertising indie bands to the bookcase full of covers that caught her eye, felt like _home_. Or at least as close as anything could be, considering her situation.

What immediately caught her eye, however, was the montage of photos taped just over her bed. They were Polaroids, Max's favorite, and the subjects of them ranged from natural scenes such as butterflies and flowers to people she didn't recognize. Several of the ones at the top were even of herself several years ago, though she couldn't place when they were taken any more precisely. Even Chloe was the focus of several pictures, easily seen with her blue hair.

Max reached over to inspect one of Chloe and herself lying in a bed when Chloe suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Hey, hey. Don't want to mess up the Memorial Wall, y'know? Old You told me she spent _hours_ lining things up just right. Let's not let all that hard work go to waste."

Max nodded and brought her hand down.

That was weird. It was only one photo, but it was part of a very nice montage. It would be a shame if she sneezed or something and messed the whole thing up.

Chloe immediately brought her attention to the green bag lying at the corner of the room. She picked it up, and made as if to toss it over to Max, but changed her mind at the last moment to walk it over.

Max took a seat on the edge of her bed to look within.

The stuff inside was pretty much what she expected: a laptop, pencils, notebooks, a journal, and _The October Country_ , a novel. Good thing Chloe didn't toss it, no need to break her laptop the moment she found it.

The notebooks were most likely for schoolwork, but they were currently blank. No help.

The journal, however, looked far more interesting. On the front was written _**Max's Journal: KEEP OUT**_ in black sharpie. The outside was covered with a couple of stickers of Polaroid cameras and cassette tapes. This proved it: she was a hipster.

Within was much less than she expected. All that was there was a single entry on the first page, dated July 10th, with some faded magazine cutout taped to the side.

_I GOT ACCEPTED INTO BLACKWELL ACADEMY!_

_Even though I lost my journal yesterday, it doesn't matter because I GOT ACCEPTED! This is a special seniors-only school for the most talented and worthy students, which now includes ME! Take that everyone else!_

_I knew I'd do it! I mean I kinda thought I wouldn't, but I was wrong! And I've never been happier to be so very, very wrong. Now with the scholarship, my parents don't have to worry about money and maybe they can save up so I can get new clothes and maybe a laptop._

_This is so exciting that lowercase letters can't even hold the fact that I AM GOING TO BLACKWELL ACADEMY!!!_

Wow, Old Max was incredibly excited to be going to Blackwell. That was more exclamations in one entry than Max normally used in a year.

It's strange how she didn't even mention Chloe, especially since going back to Arcadia Bay must have been one of the driving factors for shooting for acceptance. No further entries to clear things up either.

Also... July 10th? The beginning of July was around the same time the messages on the phone stopped. Did Old Max really lose both her journal and her phone—the _two things_ that would have been the most helpful with her amnesia—at the same time? Max mentally cursed her older self's clumsiness.

"Oh! Before I forget..." Chloe dug in her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper that revealed itself to be a class schedule. "Asked Kate to print this out for you. Figure you'd need it if you want to know where you're going."

"Thanks, Chloe. You really thought ahead for me."

"Just for you, Maxi. But while you study that, I gotta get some grub to snack on. I know you weren't hungry, but not all of us have the luxury of dining on delicious hospital food."

"Trust me, it wasn't delicious."

"Uh-huh. You're just saying that so I won't get jealous. But not to fear! I've got vending machine snacks on the horizon. Truly the food of the gods."

"What? Some Cheez-its?"

"Exactly! I knew you'd understand. Anyway, you want anything too?"

Max shook her head. She wasn't lying about being full from earlier, even if the food wasn't the most flavorful.

Chloe shot some finger guns and left Max alone with her schedule. It was what she expected: Photography at nine, Chemistry at eleven, English at one, with some classes moved around depending on the day of the week.

Luckily, it looked like all of her classes were near each other. Only one of them were outside of the main building, and the map of the school that Kate helpfully printed on the back showed that it was only one building over. Even her locker was right outside her photography class.

Kate was such a savior for doing this for her. Chloe, too, for taking the effort to ask for it. Max didn't know where she'd be without the both of them. Probably still in the hospital or back in Seattle, if Max had to guess.

Truthfully, Chloe being there for her was the real reason she didn't want to leave. It's not like she knew she had any ties to Arcadia Bay. She barely remembered that it was the city she had grown up in. But just knowing that someone was there waiting for her made the decision easy.

Would Chloe have followed Max to Seattle if she had gone? It's not like she had classes to go to, and if they were so inseparable from a young age, Max's parents would have gladly taken her in, right? Then again, she had a home here with her mom, from what Max gathered, and even if they weren't the closest Max couldn't ask Chloe to drop it all to follow her. Though she suspected that Chloe would if Max asked.

Chloe's bursting in through the door interrupted Max's thoughts. The door hadn't been locked when she left, leaving her free to barge in with an armful of snacks.

"Heya, Max. Sorry about the wait. You won't believe what I just had to deal with. Vending machines out there didn't work, so I had to go down to the first floor. Then I realized I left my wallet..." Chloe stopped and set her snacks down on the desk next to the laptop, then turned and stared Max directly in the eyes. "Have you been looking at that schedule since I left?"

"Uh..."

Chloe quickly walked over to the laptop— _when did she put that on the desk?_ —to check the time.

"I've been gone for like half an hour! Did you seriously not move at all while I was out there?"

"No... I put the stuff in my backpack away." Max said. A quick glance over showed that apparently, she had. She didn't remember when she did so, but the open mouth of the bag proved that it held nothing inside. She could see one of the notebooks hanging off an edge of her bookshelf.

Chloe leaned down to confirm and gave a thoughtful hum. "And that took you half an hour? You were in the exact same position you were in when I left. I bet you didn't even realize I'd been gone so long."

"I'm sorry, Chloe. I just zone out sometimes. You know this, right? It's nothing new."

"Never this bad though. I'm worried about you, Max. Maybe we should call the doc if something's still wrong..."

"No!" Max yelled out. "Everything's fine. I just... let my mind wander a bit too much."

"The same thing happened last week in the hospital. I didn't say anything then, but mid-conversation you went and thousand-yard stared for a solid ten, twenty seconds. That's not okay."

"It's fine, I swear. I'll pay more attention next time, alright? It won't happen again, I promise."

"Alright..." Chloe didn't sound convinced, but she wasn't going to push it for now. Max was glad she didn't. It's not like this had anything to do with her memory. It was your normal, run-of-the-mill zoning out. Her mother had always called it the _artist's gaze_.

"Thank you, Chloe. Now do you want some help with all these snacks," Max waved at the pile of junk food sitting next to her, "or do I have to watch you eat it all by yourself?"

Chloe's smile was back on her face. The zone-outs could be dealt with later. "I knew you'd want some. You're hella predictable, Max. These are way better than those jello cups you had to deal with."

Max agreed. Hospitals had nothing on a good, old-fashioned, American vending machine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Max is Back in Black(well). Classes start soon, so we'll get a look into some other people we all know and love.
> 
> Thanks for all the comments so far, they mean a lot. I'm just glad I can contribute an enjoyable story to as many people as I can.  
> These chapters are coming out pretty much as I write them, and haven't been beta'd by anyone more than my buddy the Grammarly app, so please forgive any mistakes. I do read over old chapters and make wording adjustments on occasion. Old me is a terrible writer.
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Next Chapter: 7-31


	6. Second First Day/Little Green

_"Chloe..."_

_No response._

_"Please. Say something."_

_Still nothing. The pain in her head grew worse._

_"I know they're gone, but it's not the end of the world."_

_Chloe finally turned to look at her. "Isn't it? You knew this was happening, and you didn't tell me, even after Arcadia got flattened. Who says this isn't the end, that the next one won't land right on top of us?"_

_"It's not going to. I won't let it."_

_"Like you could stop it if you tried. Mom is still dead and you have no idea what's going on."_

_"I can fix this, Chloe, I swear. I can stop the storms so that everyone survives."_

_"How? By abandoning me again?"_

_They both knew the answer to that. Max and Chloe understood that this day would come ever since the storm hit three months earlier than it should have. Normally, Max left after the first tornado, but this time she decided to stay, if only so that one Chloe would have some closure. At this moment, she regretted her choice._

_She pulled out an old picture of herself on the Seattle boardwalk, details smeared through the tears in her eyes, and felt reality fade away once again._

-Timeline #39 

* * *

Max looked at the photos taped up in a neat square over her bed. One in particular had caught her eye; it was a photo of herself on a long pier by a harbor, ice cream cone in hand. Her hair in the photo was several inches shorter—clean in the way that only newly cut hair could give, and her dad's leg was just visible on the edge of the frame from his failed attempt to get out of the picture.

Chloe sat with her, knee bumping restlessly on the bed. She had said she had gone home last night, but Max noticed that she was wearing the same clothes as the day before, same stains and tears. Max chose not to bring it up.

"Chloe..."

"Yeah, Maxi?"

"What's your favorite kind of ice cream?"

"Rocky Road all the way. I love those little bits of marshmallow; it’s basically a sorta frozen hot chocolate. What about you?"

"Strawberry. It's always been my favorite. And I absolutely hate vanilla."

"Smart choice, I guess."

"But I'm eating a vanilla cone in this photo."

Chloe leaned in for a closer look. "Are you sure? Might be something like Cookies and Cream. That's a pretty good flavor too."

Max stuck her tongue out and swatted Chloe. "Blech. I had it once, and _never again_." She pointed at the cone in the picture, careful not to touch it. "Just look close, no chunks of anything in there. Plain vanilla."

It was difficult to tell with such tiny details, but there were no additions in the ice cream as far as Chloe could see.

"Huh... guess you're right. But maybe your tastes just changed or something. I used to hate brussel sprouts, and now I only slightly dislike them."

They sat in silence as Max looked at more photos. She wasn’t truly taking them in, but rather gathering her thoughts for what she wanted to ask.

"Old Max was really different from me, wasn't she?"

A moment passed before Chloe responded. "Yeah. She was really confident, very in-your-face about things. Always seemed like she was on some sort of mission, the way she talked. It was... different, yeah."

"Was she a better friend than I am?"

"What? No! Don't be like that, Max. You're great just the way you are. And I don't mean that to sound so cheesy, but it's true."

"You just make her sound so great. You must really miss her."

"Max," Chloe said, looking her directly in the eye. "You _are_ her. I know I make it seem like you're two different people but it's not like that. You're just missing some of yourself right now, and that's alright. But I love all of you, no matter how much that may be."

"Oh... thanks, Chloe." Max thought that was an odd turn of phrase, but went with it anyway. "I love being your friend too."

"Yeah..." Chloe said nothing else.

Class didn't start for another hour, so Max went back to studying her Memorial Wall. She was beginning to see a theme across the photos. At the top were the earliest ones, from what she could tell, while the more recent ones were posted at the bottom.

The first photo on the wall was herself at a hockey game. This one Max remembered. She could recall the sights and sounds, but it was so many years ago that she didn't even remember who won.

The final photo was interesting. It was a gorgeous blue butterfly sitting on a shiny bucket lying on a tiled floor. The only major criticism she had was that she had caught herself in the bucket's reflection, ruining the viewer's focus. Other than that though, it was a great spontaneous catch.

Chloe's voice brought her out of her inspection. "Y'know Max, not to pry, but did your old journal help any? You didn't seem too happy with what you found."

Max sighed. "No, sadly. It only had a single entry from July, but nothing very useful."

At that, Chloe stood, brows furrowed tight, and grabbed Max's backpack from the desk. Intrigued at what Chloe was doing, Max watched as she opened it up and pulled out the journal to look inside. She flipped through the pages one at a time and glanced at each one.

"Are... you sure, Max? I'm counting like five separate days here."

"What!? Let me see."

Chloe passed the journal and Max looked inside. Just as she said, five different days with entries. Four new ones.

This wasn't right. She only saw one yesterday. Every other page was blank, Max was sure of it.

"No, no, no. These weren't here when I checked," Max said.

"I hate to tell you, Max, but I saw you flip through the pages. Now, I didn't read what they said, but they were definitely filled with writing and stickers and stuff. It was weird that you stopped at the first one; I know how much you wanted to read them."

"But I'm telling you _they weren't there_. How could I have read them?!"

Chloe put her hand up defensively. "Max. I'm not saying you're wrong, but maybe you just didn't see them or something. You must have flipped past them."

"But you still saw them? That doesn't make any sense, Chloe. I would have seen them if you did."

"What do you want me to say?" Chloe's voice was growing louder. "They were definitely there yesterday, and it's worrying me that you think they weren't."

This entire situation was giving Max a headache. Why wouldn't Chloe just _believe_ her?

"I'm not lying to you, I swear," she said, holding her hand to her head. "It's probably something to do with my time travel, right? Things bleeding over or not showing up how they should. You said I used it a bunch that week we met, so that must be it."

"Max..." Chloe shook her head slowly. "With all that time we spent testing out your powers, nothing like this ever happened. And even if it worked that way, it wouldn't make sense for the journal to look different to me."

"I-" Max didn't know what to say. Was she really going insane? "I _know_ they weren't there."

She got up and began to pace around the room. There wasn't much space, so she was basically making tiny circles in front of the bed, but she couldn't just sit there.

"Max, please. You're freaking me the fuck out."

"You _should be_ freaking out! This isn't normal!" Max stopped her movement to look directly at Chloe.

"Yeah, you're right. None of this is normal, but you need to calm down. Okay, Max?" Chloe's eyes were wide as she spoke.

"Look, if you're not going to believe me, then maybe you should leave. I need to deal with this alone right now."

"Max-"

" _Please,_ Chloe."

Max couldn't look at Chloe, so she made her way to her desk and stared out the window. The world was shivering, but perhaps that was just Max.

She heard the squeak of her bed as Chloe rose and made her way to the exit. Her hand on the door, Chloe turned back in Max's direction and spoke at just a whisper.

"Talk later, okay?"

Max only gave a soft nod in response. Though she was facing away, Chloe must have seen the answer, because Max heard the door squeak open and shut with barely even a click.

Why did Chloe have to be so _difficult_? She could have said something last night, but she didn't. Her idea of some reality bleedthrough seemed impossible, but so was the entire idea of time travel, and that was a sure thing at this point.

That entire argument had barely taken a couple of minutes, well within the realm for Max's rewind. She could take it all back and avoid the fight entirely.

Max hated to say that she honestly considered it. But that would go against their entire friendship, just rewinding out of any argument they might have. In fact, now that she thought about it, shouldn't this power only be used for important situations? That was the entire basis of so many comics and stories that dealt with superpowers.

Uncle Ben had said it best: _With great power comes great responsibility._

Using her rewind for personal gain was selfish, right? Even if no one else knew that she had done it. She made a mental vow. _Only important things, Max. That's the right way to do it._

She wondered if Old Max had made a similar promise.

The best way to be sure would be to learn more about her, and though the fight with Chloe tore at Max's heart, it had brought out some new information.

Her journal held more entries now. Or it always had them. She closed off that line of thinking once more and sat back on her bed. The subject of their argument lay on the bed, open to a blank page near the end.

Max reached over and grabbed it, flipping the journal to the front. It seemed familiar, even though she couldn't recall any specific memory of ever owning one. The stickers of Polaroid cameras felt comforting. She had always loved photography, and the knowledge that she had earned a scholarship for it only ignited that passion.

Strangely, A quick look around the room revealed that there wasn't actually a camera anywhere she could see. She should own one, right? Especially if she had a designated photography class.

Max was stalling. She had seen the entries earlier. They obviously existed. But to read them would only reinforce the thought that they hadn't been there yesterday.

She bit the bullet and opened to the second entry, dated September 2nd.

_My first entry from my new dorm room the night before my first day at Blackwell. Wow! I wish I had taken more time to write and take pictures, but things have been so hectic. Most of my shit is in boxes all over the room, which is small, but it's all mine, and I never want to leave. I can't wait to decorate some more! For some reason, I already set up that big wall of photos I had planned. The move has me so frazzled that I don't even remember why it was so important. I've basically been moving on autopilot the past few weeks. This is all just so so exciting!_

_I did meet some of my dorm mates, and I can already tell who's going to be cool to me and who's not. Dana and Juliet seem nice, but Victoria who's across from me is kinda a bitch. I think I already made a new friend, though! Her name's Kate and she's so sweet. I remember feeling drawn to introducing myself this morning, and we already exchanged numbers. I thought it would be a bitch trying to get settled here after I finally found good friends in Seattle._

_But I'm here now and this is the start of my new life._

_Sweet dreams, Max._

That's interesting. Apparently, that photo wall was the first thing she had done when she got to her dorm room, before even unpacking the rest of her boxes. It was a nice exhibit, for sure, but why was it such a big deal? She had never been very vain, she thought, or at least not so much that she needed so many pictures of herself. Perhaps there was some artistic statement that she hadn't caught on to yet.

It was wonderful to know that her opinion of Kate hadn't changed at all. She was quite an amazing friend.

The next entry was dated a whole month later: October 1st.

_October. My favorite-_

Several soft _knock knock knock_ ’s from the door interrupted Max's reading before she could begin. Kate's familiar voice carried through the wood.

"Max? Are you in there? It's almost time for class, and I wanted to see if you would like to walk together."

Was it already that time? Max checked her phone, and yep, fifteen minutes until class.

"Sure thing, Kate," She called back. "Just give me a moment to get ready."

The rest of the journal would have to wait for later. She tossed it, along with a couple of notebooks and a pencil bag into her backpack and slung it over her shoulder.

Outside the room, Kate was waiting for her. She had her hair up in a neat bun and she buttoned her cardigan up over her white blouse.

"Oh Max, it's good to see you again. Are you ready to go?"

"I think so. I'm not really sure what I need, so I just grabbed some notebooks and pencils and stuff. Hopefully, they go easy on me."

She didn't know about the other students, but certainly her teachers had been informed about her situation. They would probably be understanding. It would be just like the first day of school all over again.

-~-

Chloe was only _slightly_ pissed. She knew it wasn't Max's fault, and she shouldn't blame her, but _c'mon_. First the going comatose for half an hour, then this? She could have maybe let one thing slide, but not both.

Why couldn't Max just accept that she was still having problems? No one would blame her for needing some help, but just ignoring like that wouldn’t make things better.

And _okay_. Sure Chloe could've been a bit nicer and less aggressive, but Max was a passive person. If you didn't confront her head-on, she'd just avoid the problem forever.

_Exactly like she's doing now. You only made things worse. You're a terrible friend._

Chloe knew she shouldn't let herself think like that, but her thoughts were right. It would've been difficult to do worse if she had tried. Old Max would've at least listened. Though she would've had her own ideas on what to do and God help Chloe if she tried to stop her.

She couldn't just stand out in the hallway hating herself forever, though. ' _Away'_ was her only aim at the moment, so she marched down toward the stairs, taking care not to look at the abandoned room.

Thankfully, no one bothered her as she made her way out the door and over to the parking lot where her truck lay. People were passing by, probably ready to get to class, but anyone who didn't know her wouldn't notice her, and anyone who did would know to leave her the fuck alone.

Before she got in, she noticed a familiar figure skateboarding through the lot towards the school buildings.

"Yo, Justin!"

He would have just what she needed.

-~-

"So Max, how has your morning been so far?" Kate asked as they walked down the stairs.

"Not great, really. I think Chloe's a little mad at me."

"Oh no. Why do you say that?"

"It's just something dumb we got into a fight about. It's not a big deal, really."

"If you say so," Kate said, moving her stride closer so she could place her hand on Max's back. "But I guarantee you she isn't mad. And if she is, she won't be for long. She really cares about you, and you both will forgive each other."

"I hope so..."

The rest of the walk passed in silence. Kate asked nothing else, and Max enjoyed the calmness. It wasn't quiet at all, with students all making their way to class, but there was a sense of familiarity that eased her mind.

Kate guided their path; they both had the same photography class in the mornings, so Max didn't need to look at a map.

By the time they made it to the photography classroom, Max's phone showed they had just a minute before class started.

Inside was barer than she expected. Where a teacher would typically put posters and other decoration were only bare walls. It felt more like a prison than a classroom.

Most of the tables were full, though empty seats remained at a table in the very back and right by the window.

"Would you like to sit with me, Max? It's up to you."

"Uh... sure." Max didn't know where she normally sat, but if she had a choice, it would be as far back as possible, where no one could see her.

Kate let them over to the window table, where Max took a seat.

A few minutes passed, the general hubbub of conversation steadily growing. Max noticed how the other students would glance at her occasionally out of the corner of their eye, trying to appear as though they weren't staring. It was pretty obvious.

Eventually, the door opened, and a woman entered. She was skinny, though her face was full, and she wore an ankle-length deep pink dress with polka dots spaced evenly about it.  
She glided over to the table at the front of the room where a computer sat. After a few taps on the keyboard, she began calling out names, presumably for attendance.

Max tried to remember all the names that were called, but the teacher went so fast that it was difficult to follow them all. After her's, however, two stood out to her.

 _Victoria Chase_. A blonde girl sat directly across the room from them, a permanent scowl seemly glued to her face. Was this the same Victoria from her journal?

 _Taylor Christenson_. The name sounded familiar, for some reason. This girl was Victoria's friend, from the way they whispered to each other constantly.

She finished the roll call with several more names that Max attempted to assign to faces: _Alyssa, Daniel, Hayden_. And of course, herself and Kate.

"Alright, everyone. Quiet down, please. Once again, my name is Mrs. Justine, and today we will finish up the movie we started on Friday. Please stay off your phones and pay attention."

The movie that began playing on the screen at the front of the room made no sense to Max, but she tried to follow along as best she could. It was a sort of French art film if she had to guess, but any more than that was beyond her comprehension.

_BANG!_

A loud crash behind her startled Max out of her focus on the movie. It had begun fifteen minutes ago, and unsurprisingly, not even Mrs. Justine listened to her own order; she clearly had her phone out under the desk, as did most every other student.

Max turned to the source of the sound behind her, but no one was there that she could tell. She saw nothing that might have caused it either. None of the other students made a move at all, leaving Max the only one facing the wrong direction.

Kate must have seen her confusion, because she turned to Max and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay, Max? You look frightened about something."

"Did you hear a crash back there just now?"

Kate turned to where she pointed but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Max, there's nothing back there. Are you sure there was something?"

Not even Kate had heard that, apparently. Great.

"I guess not... nevermind Kate."

Kate gave a soft smile and though Max dropped it, that look always lifted her spirits.

They continued watching for another few minutes, Max still completely lost, when she attempted to move past that strange sound and ask Kate a question.

"Hey, Kate. Why are we just watching this stuff? Is there no lesson today?"

"Max..."

"What?" It was a simple question, why was Kate giving her such a strange look?

"The old teacher was _him_." Kate was careful not to say the name.

"Oh... I didn't realize." _Nice going, Max_.

"I thought we told you... but it's okay, Max. They just haven't found anyone to take over the class yet."

"Still. I'm sorry."

Max turned her focus back toward the movie, where two young girls on a balcony danced in unison.

-~-

_Finally, some good shit._

Chloe was fortunate that Justin was kind enough to spot her some weed. Her money situation was tight, but she'd pay him back. Somehow.

She didn't have any sort of proper job, no matter how much Joyce pressured her into getting one. What was the point? Things were just fine how they were, and she didn't need some boss yelling at her too. The money would help though, but Chloe could survive without. She had so far.

Now she had the entire house to herself, and with Joyce and stepdouche both working, they wouldn't be back for hours at least. Thank fuck they both worked all day.

To get into the mood, Chloe went over to the stereo. What was she feeling today?

She plugged her phone into the speakers and decided to start with something rocking to keep her energy up. The sharp beats of _Wasted Days_ began pumping out as loud as Chloe could stand. She'd start with this and see where the shuffle took her.

With practiced hands, Chloe rolled up a joint with Justin's weed and collapsed on to her bed.

_No parents, no Max, no problem. Just you and me, little green._

-~-

The rest of the movie was complete confusion to Max. From what she gathered, the two girls were twins, except when they weren't. Missing half of the movie was bound to make it indecipherable, so Max didn't pay it too much mind.

It was as she and Kate had just left the room a firm grip on her arm stopped Max, and the first thing she noticed was how well maintained the nails were—a solid red polish and filed to just the right length.

"Caulfield, we need to talk. I know you have lunch free, so come with me."

Victoria spoke in a clipped, careful way that invited no argument, but Max wasn't in the mood for being bossed around by a stranger. She pulled the hand off of her and tried to get out of the situation.

"Uh... sorry, Victoria. I'd rather eat lunch alone with Kate right now. It's my first day back."

Victoria scoffed. "No shit, Max. But it's about Nate. He wants to know why you haven't texted him back. We know you've been awake for what, a week now?"

Max only stared back. Who was Nate? She had received no texts from anyone except Kate and Chloe, and she always responded to those promptly.

"Well, Caulfield?" Victoria asked. "Are you going to come with me or not? I don't have all day."

Before Max could come up with a response, Kate cut in.

"Victoria! Please, you know she doesn't know who you're talking about."

Victoria put her hands on her hips. "Seriously? You're going to act like you don't remember Nathan, even though you two are apparently best friends now."

"She really doesn't remember, Victoria."

Max could speak for herself. Her journal was right, she was being kind of a bitch.

"I don't know who you are, or who Nathan is, or what he wants. I never got any texts from anyone, so you can tell him to stop trying."

Victoria crossed her arms in front of her and chewed at the side of her lip. It took her a moment to think of what to say, but Max was ready to leave.

"Look... Max. Sorry." Her posture lost a bit of its stiffness, and she relaxed slightly. "I thought it was just Chloe being a bitch when she told me. If you knew how we are to each other, you would see why it would be hard to believe. But I guess you really don't know what's going on."

Victoria held out a manicured hand. "I'm Victoria, nice to meet you. Again."

Max debated for a moment but decided that making enemies when she didn't need to was a poor choice. She reached out her own hand and the two of them shared a soft handshake.

"It's good to meet you too. I'm Max."

As their hands broke away, Victoria let out a soft smile. "Tell Chloe that I'm sorry for this when you see her. And if you run into Nathan Prescott, he wants to talk to you too. I'll let him know what's going on, okay?"

With that, she turned down the hall and began walking away, tossing out a small " _Ciao_ " as she rounded the corner.

"Don't worry about Victoria, Max," Kate said as they made their way to the cafeteria. "She's a little rude, but she a good person underneath it all."

-~-

Chloe lost track of the time as she just let the world fade away. Rockin' music and some weed were all she needed for a good feeling. Nothing to bother her.

At least, until she heard the unmistakable sound of the door slamming from downstairs. Joyce always took care to shut it slowly, which meant that it couldn't be her.

 _Oh shit._ Chloe scrambled up to turn off the music and hide her joint, but she barely got out of the bed before the yell came up, followed by the rapid stomping of boots on stairs.

" _Chloe!_ Turn that damn music off right now!"

Of course he was coming straight up. Why the fuck was he even here? Chloe checked the clock—it was barely noon. David should have still been at his job, harassing students or whatever the fuck he did.

"I am! _Jesus_."

He didn't stop his march. Chloe knew exactly when he stepped on to the second floor from the sound of the footfalls, and she had just turned off the music when he slammed her door open and stood right in the doorway. _Damn shitty locks_.

"What the fuck dude! What if I'd been changing in here, you pervert?"

David was red in the face, already worked up and angry at something. That was never a good sign.

"I thought I smelled something in here. You've been smoking, haven't you?"

"Okay, yeah. I got some cigarettes. I'm nineteen, that's not illegal if I remember correctly."

He stepped further into the room, and the way he towered over Chloe frightened her slightly, though she would die before ever showing fear. That was a serious thought that sometimes ran through her mind.

"You _know_ that's not what I mean. I can smell the marijuana in here. You've been toking, even after I told you I would not allow that in my house."

" _Your_ house? Bullshit, dude. This has never been your house. It's Joyce's, and you'll be gone when she finally kicks your ass to the curb."

"I will not be disrespected like this!" With every word, he stomped closer to where Chloe stood. By now, they were barely a breath apart, each of them standing straight trying to intimidate the other.

"Well, if you don't want to listen to me, you're free to pack your shit up and _leave_!"

That was enough, it seemed. Chloe didn't even see the hand before she was down on the ground, the breath knocked out of her. The pain radiated from her side, exactly where he hit her last time, directly over her scars.

David said something right as he left, but the blood rushing through Chloe's ears blocked out any chance of her hearing it.

She didn't know exactly how long she lay there on the ground, trying to gather herself well enough to stand. Her vision kept swimming in and out of focus, never staying still for more than a moment. It was like her entire head was trapped underwater— _drowning_.

 _You should've just listened_. _It's your own fault, really._

Of course it was. No one else had to deal with shitty stepdads whose only goal in life seemed to be making her existence as terrible as possible. No one else could understand how it felt, and she was the only one to blame. No one else could know— _deal with it yourself_.

Eventually, she shakily found her feet. She really should climb into bed— _coward—_ and rest this off, but her thoughts were too scrambled for that to work. There was no way she'd be able to sleep like this.

She hobbled over to her desk and began digging through the lowest drawer. At the very back, she found what she was looking for.

 _You were an idiot for thinking you were strong_.

She deserved this. She always deserved it.

-~-

The cafeteria was only slightly overwhelming to Max. All the students had an open period for lunch at the same time, so everyone who stayed on campus for food had rushed the lines as fast as possible.

Thankfully, with Kate to guide her, Max got food without too many problems. They sat at a small table all to themselves near a window, with a great view of the world outside. The chill of fall had already begun in earnest, so naturally, the cafeteria had its heater up too far, leading to most students choosing to forgo their coats and sweaters inside.

A few tables away, a boy caught Max's eye. He seemed familiar, with his shaggy brown hair and t-shirt with a picture of a telephone box— _It's bigger on the inside!_ Was this someone she once knew? It must have been, because Max's gaze instantly locked on to him, even though she couldn't place him to anything in particular. He seemed friendly enough, if a bit animated, and Max always considered herself a nerd—or at least enough of one to recognize _Doctor Who_.

She excused herself to Kate and made her way over to where he was sitting. Beside him was a girl with glasses and a hoodie, her hair tied up in a ponytail. The boy himself was in animated conversation with her, and waved his arms about as he spoke, almost knocking over several books he had strewn about the table.

Up close, Max caught just a portion of his conversation.

"...still getting the hang of this new schedule. It's so lame that they changed our days around because of it, but at least we can still fit in our raid prep later."

Right as he finished, both of them noticed her approaching. The girl had a wide look of surprise, while the boy furrowed his brow in confusion. Their talking immediately died.

"Uh... hi." She really didn't think this through. Would it be weird if she introduced herself to them? Probably.

The boy spoke first. "Hey... Max. Do you need something?" He seemed a little weirded out, which didn't bode well to Max.

"I like your shirt." _Seriously, me? That's the best you can come up with?_

That was the wrong thing to say, because the girl immediately shot up and set off into a loud tangent.

"What the hell, Max? You think that's funny?" She turned to the boy. "Warren, she's clearly just making fun of you, so tell her to get lost. I _knew_ this whole thing was just a cry for attention. Don't give her any."

Warren seemed almost as surprised by the outburst as Max was and tried to calm the girl down.

"Brooke, I don't think she meant it like that. How would she even know? She's just got good taste, right Max?"

" _Fine_. If you want to get played for a fool again, don't let me stop you. You might have a short memory, but I sure don't." Brooke stood, bundled most of the books under her arm, and stormed toward the exit, glaring daggers at Max the entire time. Several students watched her leave, but the room as a whole carried on.

Both of them were stunned by the sudden outburst, and it was Warren who came to his senses first with an apology.

"Uh, sorry for that, Max." Warren rubbed the back of his head, clearly embarrassed about the altercation. 

"What exactly did I do wrong?"

"Er... nothing, really. It's nothing."

He held his fist out in a sign of peace, a hopeful smile on his face, and Max returned it with a soft bump.

"So," he said, moving past Brooke's reaction. "My name's Warren Graham, scientist extraordinaire. That last part has some work to go, though."

"Hi, Warren. I'm Max. Well, you already know that, obviously. You've probably heard that I don't really remember much, but you just seemed so familiar, which is why I came over here. I... shouldn't have, I don’t think."

Warren shook his head. "Don't worry about Brooke. She holds grudges, but I don't. No reason to when you've gone and had your mind wiped by some super-advanced alien probe, right?"

"I guess not. Though I doubt the reason was anything so exciting."

"Eh," Warren shrugged, "If you don't know, just go and tell people the most interesting thing; that's what I always say."

Warren seemed like a nice guy so far, but Max was still incredibly confused about Brooke's reaction to what she said about his shirt. That was another problem that could wait for later, she supposed. For now, she was enjoying making a new friend.

"So... you like _Doctor Who_?" She pointed at his shirt again.

"Like it? I love it! I'm a real sucker for time travel plots in comics, TV, movies, you name it. Though it does play a bit fast and loose with the rules. If you want something with some more hard sci-fi, I have this other show you might not have seen..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things will get happier Soon™.
> 
> I can't say I'm incredibly happy with my writing, but how does one improve without an attempt? Thanks again for all the kind words.  
> My favorite ice cream is Moose Tracks because of peanut butter /and/ fudge. How do they do it? 
> 
> What's your favorite flavor?
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Next Chapter: 8-7


	7. No Boys

_"It makes you realize that we're all made of stardust. In a way, we can see our past and future and everything in between up there in the stars. They don't tell us everything, of course; life always needs a little mystery. Don't you agree?"_

_Max looked down at Chloe laying in her lap, but she was too stoned to be paying attention. Max herself was working her way there, and could only shrug in response before the girl asked something new, not even waiting for a proper answer. She was like a ~~tornado~~ whirlwind the way she moved through conversations._

_"When's your birthday, Max? September?"_

_"Twenty-first."_

_"So that makes you..." the girl hummed for a moment, thinking, then caught a glint in her eye. "A Virgo. Creative and clever, always planning. I should have guessed."_

_"And you?"_

_"Leo. Right on the cusp, but a Leo for sure. That means I'm brave and faithful, wouldn't you say so?"_

_"Without a doubt, Rachel," Max lied, the calm haze drifting away her guilt._

-Timeline #42 

* * *

The rest of the day wasn't _terrible_ , but it certainly wasn't amazing. Warren was nice enough, though he left to go ' _calm down the girlfriend, you know how it is_ ' soon after writing down a long list of movies he felt Max would enjoy. His enthusiasm was boundless, though Max felt a little overwhelmed by how much info he could dump in such a short time.

Science Lab was a mess of confusion for Max, but luckily she had Kate there to help guide her through the lesson. Though she thought if she listened closely to Mrs. Grant's words, she could almost feel like some things she heard were the tiniest hint familiar. However, bare memories weren't enough to gather any sort of proper understanding of the activity. She'd have to ask Kate for some better notes later.

Mrs. Grant herself was kind and gave her the typical _let me know if you need anything_ that most teachers do when a student needed help. It was nice of her to make the effort at least, even though Max had no intention of taking her up on the offer unless she was in dire straits. Even with her unique circumstances, she wanted to be seen as capable and independent.

Her final class, Media Literacy, was... interesting, to say the least. Learning to navigate through social networks and recognize biased sources made for a unique class. Blackwell really was at the forefront of modern learning, it seemed.

Making it through the day wore Max out, and she was ready to return to her room and sleep for a week, at least. Unfortunately, someone calling her name before she could even exit the building pushed that idea away.

"Hey, Caulfield! Slow down, I wanna talk to you."

The boy that called out to her in the hall was unfamiliar to her, though with her recent problems, that included almost everyone. His brown hair was slicked back like a greaser, and he wore an untucked red blazer that pulled tight against his body.

"What the fuck, Max? You bust outta the hospital and don't even give me a fuckin' text?"

His voice came out strong and casual, though his body language didn't give quite the same effect. He was constantly tapping his foot or shuffling around, and his eyes darted back and forth constantly, as if he were afraid of someone sneaking up on him.

Max didn't know what to say, which was becoming a theme when strangers decided that they wanted to talk to her. This time at least, she had planned a reply.

"Sorry, I'm having some memory problems and I don't really know who you are." She held out her hand for a shake. "I'm Max."

No stuttering or hesitating this time. _You go, girl!_

Instead of responding immediately, the boy pushed her hand away and leaned in, almost inside Max's personal space. He had an inquisitive stare as they locked gazes for only a moment, not even two feet between the two of them. Max wasn't sure what he was looking for, because she only saw her own reflection in his rapid blue eyes before he stepped back again.

"Ho-lee shit," the boy said, dragging out the words. "Chloe really wasn't lyin'. I _told_ Vic she's the real bitch, but she never listens."

"Uh..." This guy seemed a little strange, but maybe that was just how he is. Best not to judge someone from two sentences.

"Well," he said. "Name's Nathan. Nathan Prescott. I basically run this place, so good thing you're one of the good ones."

"I'm one of the good ones?"

"Sure as shit. You ever need anything; weed, E, coke," he gave an involuntary sniff, "Or anything harder, you let me or Vic know. You've earned it, for sure."

"I... thanks?" Max had no plan to ask for any of that; she didn't even know what ' _E_ ' was. Nothing good, she assumed.

"Sure thing. And let me see your phone."

"My phone? Why do you need it?"

"Calm the fuck down, Caulfield." He motioned to himself with his hand. "I'm just gonna put my number in since you apparently went and lost it before you knocked your head."

Max pulled out her phone and gave it to him. He quickly tapped a few things in then handed it back. Looking down, Max saw that he had put his name in as simply _Nate_. Victoria had called him that too.

"There you go, and don't lose it this time. I might get tired of givin' you my number and then where would you be? Up shit's creek, that's where." He shot her a smile that he probably intended to be charming but didn't quite come across.

"Thanks, Nathan. I'll be sure to text you if I need anything."

"Cool." He chewed the word up in his mouth as he spoke it. "I got places to be, so even though I know how much you _love_ my company, you'll just have to wait."

As he turned to leave down the hall, Max considered what he said. He had offered her drugs, which meant he had a way to get them. And Chloe was probably still mad from their fight that morning. So Max made a snap decision that she _knew_ she would regret.

"Hey, Nathan! One more thing!"

He hadn't gotten too far, and Max saw him toss his shoulders in an exaggerated mock sigh as he walked back to her.

"I really wasn't kidding; I got places to be. What is it?"

Max didn't know what she was doing, but her wish to be on Chloe's good side outweighed her anxiety. He had offered it to her, so it wouldn't be a problem if she took him up on it, right?

"You said you had some... stuff, if I needed it?" _This was a bad idea._ "Well, I think I could use a little."

Nathan raised his eyebrow incredulously but said nothing, so Max continued.

"Do you have any..." Max glanced around, and thankfully no one was looking at them, though that didn't ease her worries. "...uh, _weed_?"

She whispered that last word so softly that she was almost afraid that Nathan didn't hear her. That thought proved false as, after a moment, Nathan let out a single sharp ' _Ha_!' that rang out through the hall. He had a grin that Max could only describe as 'shit-eating'.

"Damn, Caulfield. You losin' your wits really made you a hell of a lot more fun. Almost remind me of Rachel in a way, though just the good bits." That smile still twitched on his face. "How much are you lookin' for?"

Max didn't know. She knew vaguely the measurements used for this kind of thing. Was an ounce a lot?

"Uh... a bit?" she replied.

"Do you even know how to smoke this stuff? Or are you gonna bake it? Cause that's the kinda thing I could see you doin' instead."

"It's not for me. I'm giving it to Chloe."

"Ah," he said, calming down a bit. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small clear baggie, which he inspected for a moment. The way he focused almost made him seem like a different person. "Yeah, this should do it. This'll tide your girlfriend over 'til she needs more. And tell her to come to me next time; this stupid-ass messenger thing with Frank is gettin' out of hand. Justin's too nice to say so, but he's got his own shit to deal with."

Nathan hesitated half a heartbeat, then held the bag out.

Max snatched it from his hand and stuffed it into her jacket pocket. Luckily, it seemed no one saw the exchange. The last thing she needed was getting kicked out of Blackwell for drugs. Did Nathan really just carry this stuff around?

She didn't know what to make of him. He was nice, at least, though he didn't exactly seem like a paragon of goodness. Something Max had done before had gotten her on his good side, which was fortunate. Though the way he looked sometimes was a little unsettling, and his constant twitches didn't help his image in her mind.

"Thanks. I'll be sure to let her know. She'll be thankful for this at least," Max said.

"She better. I was gonna smoke that." He raised his hand in a sort of half-wave. "Now if you don't need anything else, I really gotta get."

"Bye..."

Nathan had already turned and begun leaving the same way he attempted earlier, with no sign he heard Max's soft farewell.

-~-

Max's walk back to her room was an anxious one, because of the new gift she had in her pocket. Obviously, no one could tell what she was carrying, yet the fear lodged itself all the same. Usually, she walked focused on the atmosphere and culture that surrounded her, trying to understand Blackwell. This time, however, she kept her head down and tried to make as little eye contact as possible.

She was relieved when she finally got back to the dorm, but that was doused as she found the door slightly cracked. The door was locked when she left this morning; Max was sure of it.

She pushed the door open to find Chloe standing in front of her bed, looking at the rectangle of photos on her wall. The sound of the opening revealed Max, and Chloe turned to her.

"Hey, Max. I... kinda let myself in. I just got here and didn't feel like standing in the hall. Crazy how cheap these locks are, am I right?"

Had Chloe really broken into her room? That was strange. Max assumed they would call or text each other before meeting up, but it seemed Chloe had other ideas.

"Yeah... I guess so."

"Anyway, is this alright? I know I probably shouldn't have just busted in like this, but I figured you'd be back soon, so what's the harm?"

Chloe seemed off to Max. She was kidding around and trying to be lighthearted, though Max noticed that her smile didn't reach her eyes. She was here instead of at home, where Max presumed she had been before, because she had on a different shirt from earlier.

"It's okay, Chloe. I'm glad you're here."

That seemed to lift her spirits, because her smile turned genuine.

"Thanks. I don't want to be a pain or anything, y'know? But if you're good, then I'm good." She sat down on the bed, and pat the space to her left.

Max sat down beside her, then had an interesting idea. Perhaps a little prank would lift Chloe’s spirits. She reached into that strange power at the corner of her mind, raised her hand, and pulled the fabric of time back.

The world lost its bright hues for a single subjective moment as Max rewound to just as Chloe was sitting. Releasing her power, Max watched everything snap back into normality, except now she was a few feet from where she was before.

Before Chloe could finish sitting, Max reached up and poked her in the side. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough for her to notice.

" _Jesus Christ_!" Chloe jumped sideways across the bed at the strange sight of what appeared to be Max teleporting across the room. She held her hand to her chest as she caught her breath.

Max let out a soft giggle at Chloe's surprise. It was mean but _definitely worth it_. This was only fair, considering she had broken into her dorm. Plus the water-filled glove from before. Now they were even.

"Sorry, Chloe. But I had to get you back for that stunt in the hospital. You drenched me."

Chloe had a frown on her face and was rubbing at the side Max attacked, but she didn't seem too angry.

"Heh," Chloe said, a slightly pained smile on her face. "You really got me, 'cause I deserved it. Nice one, Max."

She played it off as a joke, but the way she kept rubbing made Max think she actually hurt her. Max thought about taking the whole thing back, but remembered her vow. _No take-backs_. She hoped she hadn't screwed things up for good.

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to poke you that badly."

"No, no. It's alright." Chloe waved her hand. "Just a bit tender is all. Bailed on my board earlier."

"Oh. I have some ointment that might help if you want."

"It's fine. Really, Max. My fault for not being a better skater. Bit off more than I could chew, but it's all good now."

Something seemed off about her excuse, but Max decided not to push it. Besides, she had some better medicine that might help more than anything, the way Chloe talked about it.

Max pulled out the bag that Nathan gave her earlier and tossed it to Chloe. She caught it in midair and stared at it in disbelief.

"What? Where d'you get _this?"_

"I got it from Nathan Prescott. I met him earlier, and apparently, we're both friends. He gave me this so I could give it to you. I just want to apologize for earlier, and I know you mentioned that you were out so..."

"You're really the best, Max. You know that?"

Chloe slid over on the bed and pulled her arm up to wrap around Max's shoulder in a half-hug. Max returned with her right arm, careful not to pull too close and put pressure on Chloe's side.

"You're the best too, Chloe. But he also told me to tell you to talk to him if you need any more. He said you don't need to get it from Frank or bother Justin."

"Oh, good. Kinda thought he was a prick before, but maybe he ain't all bad. And Justin's good people; I skate a bunch with him and Trevor. Trevor does more bailing than skating, though, and I never stop giving him shit for that."

"He also said that I remind him of Rachel. Is she someone I used to know?"

The moment she said the name, all emotion dropped off of Chloe's face. Max couldn't tell what exactly she was thinking, but it definitely wasn't anything good.

"You best hope he didn't mean that. Rachel is... no one you need to worry about. She's not around anymore, anyway."

"Oh. You didn't like her?"

"The opposite, really. We were close, and then it turned out she went and cheated on me with our drug dealer. So that tends to sour things."

"Cheated?" Max knew how serious something like that was, but that would mean... " _Oh_."

"Yeah."

"You two dated? I didn't realize that you were..."

"...Gay? Yeah, I am. I tried the whole boy thing, but all I got out of that was a creepy stalker." She broke eye contact and looked out the window. "This isn't, like, a problem, is it?"

It certainly came as a surprise to Max, but it didn't change her opinion of Chloe at all. She had assumed Chloe was straight, simply because she hadn't given it any thought at all. She knew some people could be hateful toward someone for that, but that never made much sense to Max. What did it matter to her who other people loved?

"No! Not at all. I think it's pretty cool that you can be confident in yourself like that."

"'Pretty cool', eh? What about you? You ever have naughty thoughts about the fairer sex?"

Max couldn't hold back the blush that attacked her face. Chloe was just so _direct_. It definitely made their conversations interesting.

"Uh, not really, I guess. I haven't given it much thought." Well, now was a fine time to ask something that had been on her mind for a few days, Max supposed. "But, uh, have there been any? Boys, I mean. That I've dated."

Why did she have to be so awkward? It's a simple question. One that needed an answer. What if she runs into an ex-boyfriend? _What if she already has_?

"No... no boys that you have to worry about."

Max's horror was short-lived, thankfully.

"Oh. That's good, I guess."

It was, honestly, though Max would be lying if she wasn't _slightly_ disappointed. Having to actually deal with an ex would be terrible, but just the fact that she managed it once would have been a nice boost to her self-esteem. This was the simpler outcome, though.

"So. Whaddya want to do today, Maxi? I know you probably got work to do or something, so I won't keep you long. Scout's honor."

"Were you ever even a Girl Scout?"

"I mean, no. So that should tell you how much that's worth."

Max thought about what she might want to do. It was true that she had some studying to do, and she still needed to talk to Kate about getting some notes. But Chloe was here now, so Max wanted to take advantage of that. Classes could wait.

"I think I'd like to just chill, if that's okay?"

"Chill, like _chill_?" Chloe motioned to the baggie she had set down beside her.

"Oh, no, no. I don't think so. And we shouldn't even have that in the dorms."

"You're right about that. Sergeant stepdouche would burst a blood vessel if he saw us with this."

"Sergeant... who?"

Chloe let out a sharp laugh. "You're lucky if you haven't run into him yet. His name's David. He's my stepdad, and his job is security here at Blackwell. Interrogating and harassing students and whatever else he feels like."

"You really don’t like him, do you?"

"Fuck no. He's the worst. But because he's the one that put that fucker Jefferson in the slammer, no one really cares what he does. Being the town hero has its perks, I guess."

"What about your mom?"

"A waitress at a diner in town. I get free food sometimes, so that's cool. She used to be alright before Dad died."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah. He loved you, did you know that? You were practically like a second daughter to him, and it showed. He was a cool dad, always letting us break the rules or stay out late together. We were a pain, for sure, but he never stopped."

Yet another set of memories that Max didn't have. Something else to make her different from Old Max. She didn't even know that Chloe had a stepdad, let alone that her biological dad had died, even though she had spent years knowing him.

"I wish I could remember him."

"Maybe it's good you can't remember all that. It really tore us both up when we lost him, and I guess some things are better left forgotten. Some days I wish I could forget too."

Max hadn't lost either of her parents, thankfully, so she couldn't relate. But from the look on Chloe's face, she hoped she would never have to. She couldn't imagine losing her mom or dad and have them replaced by someone she hated.

"Actually," Chloe continued. "Do you think we could go somewhere? Just for a little bit. I, uh, haven't been in a while, and I'd like to have you there. It's cool if you don't though."

"Of course, Chloe. Whatever you need."

She leaped to her feet and stuffed the bag into her pocket _._ After making sure they both had everything they needed, she led them to the parking lot once more.

-~-

Chloe's truck was just as trashed as before, but Max was growing used to it. Not that she'd ever _want_ to have to deal with it, but the immediate disgust had since worn off. One of these days she would take a trash bag and throw out everything inside. Did Chloe really need three sets of fuzzy dice, even though she didn't even put up one?

The ride over was mostly silent, and Chloe was kind enough to let Max set the station. She settled on a soft rock channel, figuring that they would both enjoy it, and her choice got a ' _nice one, Max'_ from Chloe.

According to her phone, they were in the car for a solid half-hour, though it felt like half that to Max. Near the end of the trip, the rolling buildings became solid trees, and Max could just spot a lighthouse on a hill through them in the distance. It looked like a great spot to visit.

Before long, they pulled up beside a fence which held a metal sign showing where they were. _Arcadia Bay Cemetery_. Was this really where Chloe was taking her? Apparently so, as she wordlessly got out of the truck and waved for Max to do the same.

Neither of them said anything as they walked down the gravel path further in. Chloe seemed to know where to go, so Max followed a half-step behind.

The rows of headstones rose before them, and the chill of fall made Max shiver. In the light of the evening, the place was more peaceful than creepy, with not a single other person in sight. Chloe didn't look bothered by the temperature, even though she only had on a t-shirt, but her shoulders were tense and her body was restless. She led them in front of an old, faded grave, whose name Max could barely make out as _William Price_.

"Thanks for coming, Max." Those were the first words she had said since they arrived, and they came out through a choke. Tears were welling up, but they hadn't fallen quite yet.

Chloe wiped at her eyes and began to speak at the grave.

"Hey, Dad. Sorry I haven't been around much. I'm sure you want to know everything I've been up to, but I've got someone here for you to meet." Chloe turned and waved Max closer. "Remember Max? She finally came back."

Chloe didn't look like she was going to say anything else, so Max jumped in.

"Hi, Mr. Price. It's good-"

"You, uh, always called him 'William'," Chloe interrupted.

"Oh, sorry. William, it's good to meet you again. I had an accident and don't really remember much, but Chloe's told me good things about you."

"Yeah, but when she remembers again, she's gonna love you twice as much. This just means that I can tell her all your bad jokes and she won't have heard them a million times."

"I bet you were hilarious."

"He was." Chloe had a tense, thoughtful look on her face as she continued. "Max, do you think you could give us a moment? Just… sad daughter stuff, you know?"

Max nodded and made her way out of earshot. She wandered through the headstones, reading all the names of the people she would never know. Did their friends and family still visit, or were these graves destined to be left untouched forever? The thought sobered her, and while she knew that everyone died eventually, seeing all these people made her realize just how easily things could go wrong.

In truth, Max felt lucky. As far as she could tell, it had been a simple fluke; nothing she could have done. She had heard of aneurysms and brain disorders causing perfectly healthy people to just die with no warning, and she was thankful that the only permanent damage was to her memory. Though Chloe had mentioned that she acted differently, so could the accident have altered her personality?

The thought scared her, so Max tried to look around for something else to focus on. Unfortunately, in a graveyard, headstones are everywhere you look. One in particular several rows down caught her eye, though. It was a grave much newer than the rest, and it stood out because of the relics surrounding it.

Moving closer, Max could see about a dozen burned-out candles set around the stone's front, along with several small notes. _We'll always miss you_. _Forever in our hearts_. _F**K J_. It looked like at least one person still had people who cared.

Max didn't hear Chloe approach, but her voice coming from behind interrupted Max's inspection.

"Oh. You found her. Remember how I told you that fucker Jefferson killed a student? That's her."

Max knelt down for a closer look at the handwritten notes. The several of them leaning against the headstone were still propped up, and the rest were scattered about. Max suspected there had been more, only the wind had blown them away.

 _Strange._ Several drops of blood appeared on the dirt making up the grave, and after a moment, Max could see another join them.

"She was a good student, from what I heard. I didn't know her that well. You didn't either."

More blood droplets appeared, and they began to bind together into a tiny red puddle. Max began to taste metal on her lips, almost like pennies. She reached up to her lip where she felt something running, and her fingers came away red.

This wasn't good. Max tried to stand, but her legs failed her, and she only ended up face down in the dirt. Chloe must have finally realized that something was wrong because Max felt strong hands trying to roll her over. A voice called from somewhere far away, but it was too faint to understand.

The last thing Max saw was Chloe's face, contorted in a scream.

-~-

**Stella Hill**

_Your Memory Lives On_

1995 - 2013

-~-

_**End of Part One** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading.  
> Next Chapter: 8-11


	8. Interlude: Young/Wild/Free

_A memory is a beautiful thing, it's almost a desire that you miss._

* * *

The pulsing _thump thump thump_ of the club's music made hearing difficult, but that didn't matter to Rachel. It rang through her body so deeply that she could feel her heart beat in time to every drop and rise. There were flashing lights somewhere above her, but that fact was so insignificant as to not even register in her mind.

The guy that came by earlier— _Brad? Brent? Burt?_ —was still hanging around. Normally, someone like him wouldn't get a second look, but he was giving out free bumps, and Rachel wouldn't pass up an opportunity like that. Amazing how that was all it took to become her favorite person for the night. Did that make her shallow?

_Shallow? Maybe a little, but that's what makes you so amazing._

Of course not. It didn't matter, anyway. None of this did, and that was just perfect.

She pointedly avoided eye contact with him. He had already gotten the usual coo'ing and aww'ing that made people fall head over heels. The last thing she needed was another tagalong. Though maybe with a few more drinks she might be more inclined...

 _No_. Tonight was for herself, that was the idea. No boys or girls to distract her. Besides, tomorrow she had another job lined up for that magazine. They were a bunch of pricks they way the talked about her, but it was steady money. This was why she came all this way in the first place, right?

_We can make it on our own, Rach. And I'll be right there with you._

Dammit, she wasn't drunk enough for this. Rachel wandered past one of the dark red tables and grabbed a bottle of beer off it. Wasn't hers, but no one seemed to care, so now it was.

Thankfully, the energy flowing inside her overwhelmed the terrible taste, creating a dark mixture inside her. She was practically floating, if only in her mind. Both her greatest asset and her worst curse. The regret and guilt usually quieted with enough alcohol, but they were tenacious tonight.

All it meant to her was another challenge.

Around and around Rachel went, drinking and dancing as long as her body held up. Someone vaguely familiar offered her a nondescript blue pill, and she swallowed it down without a second thought. She could still think, so she was too sober.

_You can't just keep running from your problems with drugs, Rachel. I thought we were past that._

Maybe Chloe was, but Rachel knew that she had only done it for her. And look where that got them. Rachel was living the life she always wanted, free from rules and imprisonment, while Chloe was still stuck in that shithole of a town. Who was the real winner here?

This wasn't working. Her thoughts always drifted back to Arcadia Bay, even though she vowed never to think of that place again. Some part of herself still wanted to be back there with everyone, but that was an idiotic idea. If she could just cut out that part of her with a knife, she would in a heartbeat. Those bridges were burnt for good.

 _There_. A lone girl lost for direction in the crowd. Her shoulder-length auburn hair swung off-beat to the music, but the energy was there. This girl was new. Not just to the club, but clubbing in general. It was clear by the way she huddled in, focused more on the surrounding people than herself.

Rachel did promise herself not to go hunting for more conquests, but it would be _inconsiderate_ to leave someone as cute as her all lost by herself. She was simply being a good person; anyone would do the same.

Rachel weaved through the crowd, everything besides the girl fading into the background. The cloud of all the things she had smoked, eaten, and drank earlier no longer seemed as debilitating, now that she had a goal in mind. All that mattered was this.

The girl hadn't moved more than an inch, the way she tried to get into the music with her feet planted firmly to the ground. Her eyes never glanced higher than her knees. She looked uncomfortable, like needed to loosen up. Fortunately for her, Rachel was the loosest person she knew.

Another duck under a drunk arm swinging about and Rachel was practically face to face with the new girl. Up close, Rachel's first impression was accurate. _Hella cute._ Her small nose wiggled in time with the music and a small black heart was sharpied on the top of her right cheek. The girl said something to Rachel, but she didn't yell it, so it didn't reach through the two feet between them.

Fortunately, Rachel had experience with attempting conversations over the DJ.

The girl's name was something short and cute— _just like her_ —and Rachel noticed something in her hand as she raised it to rub at her face. A red beanie. If Rachel's gaydar hadn't already gone off, it would be pinging like crazy.

Rachel began to lay it on thick, figuring that someone like her might just be the right amount of oblivious to not pick up the hint. It seemed it was working, the way the girl stepped closer and the two of them began to make casual contact.

Next came the inevitable invitation to dance, and the girl was naturally reluctant. But with enough poking and prodding, Rachel grabbed her arm and led her further into the crowd. The bodies were easy enough to avoid for Rachel, but she had to lead the girl slowly, as she tripped over legs and feet several times just walking across the room.

Eventually, a small spot staked out for just the two of them, Rachel began to let loose. She felt that cloud she hid earlier begin to sneak back up, and she embraced it. Enthused by Rachel's moves, the girl started to let go of the hesitation that enveloped her earlier. There was no need to guide her, something as wild as this could only be learned by oneself. But that didn't mean Rachel couldn't push her forward.

Soon enough, the two of them were lost to the music. They were dancing by themselves, together. Rachel had her eyes closed, trying to get back that feeling of bliss she sought every time she danced or drank or smoked or otherwise. This is what life was for.

It didn't matter how long they stood there because it was all nothing but a fraction of a moment in the grand scheme of things. The stars would blink and her life would be gone, so what was the point if not to enjoy it as much as possible?

_Don't you want to accomplish something with your life?_

The thought struck Rachel as if it were a physical punch. She was _so_ close, ready to fly away again when Chloe's voice echoed through her body and brought her back down to Earth.

Rachel couldn't even remember when Chloe had said that, but she still heard the words clear as day in her mind. It was an unbreakable tether that kept her on this planet. She would never be free so long as she was tormented by the memories of better— _false—_ times. Would she go back and fix things if she could? Rachel didn't know.

It was then that she noticed that the girl was gone. Other dancers had moved in to fill the open space, so not even a clearing remained. Rachel looked around for any sign of her but couldn't see much beyond the constant writhing bodies.

There was no specific reason Rachel should've cared, but she did anyway. Maybe that was the problem. Rachel always tried to find meaning in attachments, so she floated between them looking for perfection. It was honestly better for them both if they never saw each other again.

Soulmates didn't exist. Soulmates _shouldn't_ exist.

Rachel made her way back to the man whose name she couldn't remember. She was young and had her whole life ahead of her, so what was one more hit?

-~-

_**Dammit**._ Nathan Prescott glanced at the clock in his room. _October 9 th, 12:01_ flashed a steady red that cast a shadow over his bed. It was the only source of light in the room, the curtains not even allowing the light of the moon in, and even that was too bright.

Nathan pulled out his phone—brightness to the lowest setting—and scrolled through the drafts he had been rereading for the past hour. _Dear V, Dear Chloe, Dear Hayden, Frank._ The thought of writing one out for his sister crossed his mind again, but he shut that way of thinking down. Kristine might be the only one who would actually make a big deal about it. She'd understand, at least, which was the last thing he wanted.

He turned the screen off for the fifth time in twenty minutes and considered just how sure he was about this. There was no going back; this was final. _**Fuck**!_

For the last time, he brought his phone up. Before he could think himself out of it, he went to each message and tapped the _send_ key, then turned the device off and tossed it past his bed _._ No sense taking it with him.

The deed done, Nathan left the room, expecting never to see it again, and made his way to the parking lot. The rain from earlier left a chill in the air, but he didn't care. He didn't bother to be quiet; no one would stop him once they saw who it was. He fucking owned this place.

Outside was practically pitch black, but he had walked these paths drunk before, so this was an easier journey. As expected, not a soul was in sight, which is exactly what he wanted. _**Alone**. _No one would realize until he was long gone.

Those four would figure it out eventually, but not soon enough to stop him. Off into the sunset, that's all he needed. Vic might care at first, but Nathan suspected she truly hated him all this time. He had wealth, and people like her followed people like him as moths did to a flame. Chloe didn't like him on principle, her ' _Down with The Man'_ schtick ensured that, but she was a good person. She stood up for him a couple of years ago, when that cheating bitch was still around. Hayden and Frank were whatever. _**Fuck them**!_ They didn't treat him like some wild animal, which made them better than literally everyone else.

Finally, his truck. A piece of shit, but it drove, which is all he needed. He popped the door and threw his only possessions in the passenger's seat. Keys, jacket, wallet, gun. Everything else could be figured out later.

He slammed the door shut, grabbed the keys, and started the truck, headlights lighting up the filled lot. Right as he shifted into drive, ready to drive straight out, a figure appeared directly in front of him, arms splayed on the hood of the vehicle. It was a teenage girl, and as she stood, Nathan could recognize her as _Max Caulfield_.

" _What the actual fuck, Nathan?_ "

She stomped over to the driver's window, where Nathan could make out a line of blood running from her nose. _**Forget her!**_ What happened to her?

Max continued over his stunned silence. "You can't just send something like that and not expect someone to come stop you! What was the plan, exactly? Go drive out to the woods or up to the cliff and throw yourself off?"

Her gaze searched through the window and landed on his handgun. "You were going to _shoot yourself_. After all of this?"

Nathan had never heard Max so _angry_ about anything. _**All you.**_ The most he had ever seen out of her was a quiet concentration, but this was full-on screaming. He was never one to be afraid, but this sudden change of demeanor caught him off guard.

"Well? Are you going to get out or not?"

 _ **No, you're not!**_ No, he wasn't. He didn't need to sit here and take this shit from someone who didn't care. Nathan stepped on the gas to drive away. _**Just go now!**_

However, before he moved a single inch, the engine made a strange choking sound and the entire truck died. No lights, engine, or noise. The streetlights provided the only illumination in the damp lot.

Looking to his left, Nathan saw Max holding up several black cables. She broke his fucking car. When had she even done that? He had been watching her like a hawk since she appeared.

"Caulfield," he finally snapped. "Fix my goddamn car before I get out and beat your ass."

Max opened her mouth a couple of times as if she wanted to reply, but nothing came out. Was she okay? She was wavering back and forth unsteadily and Nathan was sure that she was bleeding from her nose even worse than earlier. It looked like she was on the verge of death.

 _ **The gun.**_ Nathan didn't know if it was a trick of the light, but he swore that he saw her jump a foot to the left without moving through the space in between.

"Nathan, please. Can you get out and talk with me?"

Does this bitch think he wants to _talk_? The entire point of this was to never have to talk to anyone here ever again. _**They're glad.**_

"No, no! Fuck you. Put whatever you took back so I can get out of here." He was getting tired of this. "And even though it's none of your fuckin' business, I'm not going to go kill myself. I'm just leaving this excuse of a town, so you can knock it off with this 'white knight' shit and leave me alone."

Another strange blink from outside the car window. It was hard to make out any of Max's features with the light illuminating her from behind, but she seemed more stable for the moment.

"And what would your sister think of you just running away like this?"

"How the fuck do you know about her? Besides, she'd probably agree. She went and bailed the same way."

"Because she had nothing here. You do. You may have left it in your room but I saw what you sent; you know that Victoria cares about you, even though you won't let her."

How _dare_ she bring Vic up like that. _**You're in control.**_ "Shut the fuck up! You know she just hangs around me for the money. A gold digger, that's all she is."

"And you know that's a lie. If you didn't think she cared, why did you send her that text? Or Hayden's? Or Chloe's? None of them hate you, Nathan."

"It doesn't even matter what they think. If I don't leave now, I'm going to have to deal with my dad. He probably already knows I took his cash, and he'll kill me the next time I see him. I just can't fucking deal with that bastard anymore." _**She can't stop you.**_

"Nathan, look at me."

He turned his head toward her, making eye contact through the glass window. Max's face was intense with that burning anger that Nathan had never seen in her before.

"Trust me," she continued. "You don't have to worry about your father or Jefferson or whatever insane plans they've been asking you to do. Those fuckers are going _down_."

Even though this made no sense and Max's threat had no backing, he believed her. How could he not, seeing that rage seething inside her like that? How had she even gotten here so quickly? Caulfield was a mystery, and he didn't think he would ever understand her.

Reluctantly, Nathan popped the door open. It wasn't like he had any other choice; the truck wasn't going anywhere until Max fixed it.

Moving away from the inoperable vehicle, he felt Max grab his arm before he moved too far. She led him back toward the dorms with a firm grip, and he begrudgingly let her take the lead. It looked like his plan of being rid of this shithole town would have to wait.

"Where the fuck are we even going, Max?"

"Back to your dorm. Let's sit and talk, alright?"

 _ **No!**_ Fine. They could _sit and talk_. Maybe he'd finally get some answers from her cryptic ass. Probably not, but it was worth a shot. She wanted to play the angel, fine.

She didn't have a chance of actually fixing anything, but she wasn't going to let him leave either. There would be _feelings_ , but he'd only do what he needed to get her off his back. He was just a wild animal, and it wasn't his job to make anyone think otherwise.

-~-

_A cell is nothing more than a physical barrier. In one's mind, anything is possible._

These were the thoughts that calmed Mark Jefferson's mind. True, they said he had done terrible things, but so had many great artists. It was the greatest sorrow of this generation that the world would never truly understand his talent. They weren't ready.

Perhaps long ago, when men were free, could his-

_Tap tap. Tap tap. Tap tap._

"Do you _mind_?" Mark growled. The other man in his cell, a brute named Carl, didn't bother to respond. He never did. He spent his time staring out the bars into the world he would never see again. Triple homicide, beyond any doubt.

When Carl wasn't mindlessly staring, he tapped on the wall in a simple rhythm. It went on for _hours_ every time. Sometimes Jefferson wondered what went on in that dull brain of his. Cries for freedom, most likely. Possibly some regret or anger.

_Tap tap. Tap tap. Tap tap._

Fortunately, Mark felt none of that. Guilt was for when one had done something wrong, and though the world thought he had, the world was wrong. Poor Stella hadn't deserved to die, but her life was no real loss. The ones who knew her would cry, would mourn, would forget.

Only art lasted forever. The final, incomplete relics of his magnum opus were locked away in a vault somewhere, destined to be lost to time. But as long as he had his mind, they still existed. Perhaps that was his hell: to be so close to greatness, yet stopped through no fault of his own.

_Tap tap. Tap tap. Tap tap._

He accepted everything except that final failure. _Where was the mistake?_ No one had ever found the hideout. None of his subjects remembered a thing. Even Stella's disappearance had been accepted without difficulty. The stresses of school had simply gotten to her, so they believed.

That day had gone well, a simple Friday of classes for students who never cared enough. It was after he had returned home that the police arrived. Into cuffs and off to jail. Sean's lawyer refused to show, and with the evidence they had somehow found, it wasn't even a fight.

_Tap tap. Tap tap. Tap tap._

The clinching evidence was the testimonies of his students. Of course, they had never suspected a thing, but after learning what he had done they suddenly saw his benign actions in a terrifying light. Of all his students, the most surprising was Victoria Chase. That little _slut._ Telling the police she felt frightened of him, even though everyone with eyes could see that she was trying to seduce him.

Those constant attempts only revealed the aspects that made her disgusting. Not pure, like his subjects. Maybe if she hadn't tried so hard, she could have been something useful. But some people are just destined to be worthless.

_Tap tap. Tap tap. Tap tap._

In the end, was it worth it? He asked himself that every day. Had things gone differently, he could say for sure. But life happens only once, and no man had the power to change it.

However, that was the past. Now, no matter what cell they put him in, no matter who they forced him to withstand, Mark knew. He would always be free in his mind, and no one could take that away.

_Tap tap. Tap tap. Tap tap._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triple POV today. Taking a look at three different characters, and what could possibly be going on.
> 
> Just a reminder that this story is being written as I go, so if there's anything specific you want to see or find out, let me know.  
> Except Pricefield, that's a given ofc.
> 
> And let me know how I'm doing with characters. I want to give them each their own voice and their own twist to the writing if they're POV.  
> Also Oblivious!Max from last chapter is best Max.
> 
> Speaking of...
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Next Chapter: 8-17


	9. Dream Snakes

_"Like, who would even want to be such a hipster?" Victoria began. "Those stupid Goodwill rags aren't going to make anyone think she has any style."_

_"Vic," Nathan tried to interrupt, but she didn't even seem to notice._

_"How could someone possibly be so arrogant as to think they look good like that? She doesn't deserve to be that confident."_

_"Seriously, V? This is the third time today."_

_"And it's unfair that she manages to pull it off. She's cute, definitely, but there has to be something more; I just don't know what it is yet. When I figure it out, I'm going to put her in her place."_

_"I swear to fucking god."_

_-_ Final Timeline, September 28th

* * *

When Max felt herself wake, it didn't seem like any sort of event. Waking up in the morning leaves you with that sense of grogginess that doesn't quite go away until you have your coffee, but this wasn't like that. It was a more subtle change that barely registered.

One moment Max had been laying on the grave of Stella Hill, believing that she was going to die. The next, she was standing in a seemingly endless void of black, a slight reflection of whatever she was standing on being the only solid object in sight. It was obviously a dream of some sort—anything else made no sense—but that didn't ease her fear.

Though this place had to have been a dream, it didn't feel like any that Max could ever remember having. She wasn't a lucid dreamer or anything of that sort, but she could always recall them with a sort of fuzziness that covered everything like a blanket. Here, if it weren't for the strange lack of anything, she would swear she was wide awake.

A closer look around revealed that the world wasn’t a complete pure black as she first thought. In the distance, she could make out large outcroppings of some grey object, like small cliffs sticking out of the ground. No obvious other paths, she began walking towards them. Her feet made no sound as she moved—just one more eerie thing about this place.  
Max wasn't sure how long the journey took. There was no sense of time in this place, and the phone in her pocket didn't turn on when she checked it. If she had to guess, less than an hour, perhaps.

Up close, the objects revealed themselves to be giant rocks hovering a foot off the ground and stretching upward almost fifty feet. There were about two dozen of them, the outsides smooth but covered in numerous strange concave holes no bigger than her head. A quick study of the other rocks showed the same pockets on each.

There was no way to tell how deep the holes went from the outside, and Max wasn't too keen on sticking her hand in.

_What if there are dream snakes or something weird like that?_

Best not to risk it.

Instead, she picked a hole at eye-level on a nearby rock and leaned to peer in. She expected to see pure blackness, or possibly the view of a rock on the other side if the hole went all the way through, but instead, she saw a copy of herself and Chloe, frozen in place.

They were both facing in Max’s direction, and from the look of it, they were arguing. Chloe had a face of pure anger as she stomped away from the other Max, toward the observation point. The other Max was crying in place, tears streaking down her cheeks and face twisted in sadness. It was impossible to tell what they were arguing about, other than that it was something very serious.

Max left that hole and moved over to glance through a different one on the same rock. Looking through, Max saw the same scene, just from a slightly different angle because of her new vantage point.

She ran around to the other side of the rock and looked through there. Just as she expected, she now saw both of their backs as Chloe stomped away, still stuck in that same moment.

So every hole has the same picture inside of it. Did all the rocks show the same thing? Max went to the next one over to check. Figuring that there's no real difference between them, she picked a hole at random and peered inside.

This scene was much calmer than the previous. Here, Max was sitting on a green couch with Chloe splayed out beside her, head in Max's lap. Beside the two of them was a beautiful girl that Max didn't recognize. She had long blonde hair with a blue feather hanging beside her face, and in her hand was a smoking joint.

Max took a mental picture so she could remember the girl's face. She'd figure out who she was later. Chloe would probably know if this rock told the truth that they hung out together.

The other holes in the same rock were just as expected, with the same scene repeated from different angles.

What was the point of all this? Random scenes that she didn't remember stuck inside these giant rocks.

Whatever it was, there didn't appear to be an obvious escape from this endless void, so Max moved on to the next rock. There weren’t too many; she could check them all without spending too much time. However, as she rounded the rock to glance into the next one, she suddenly slammed into someone she didn’t foresee.

The unexpected impact was enough to cause her to stumble and fall backward, landing not-so-gracefully on her back. Above her, she could see the figure clearly, even without any light. It was another Max, except this one wasn't frozen like the others. In fact, she had a wide-eyed look of surprise on her face and her arm raised, ready for a rewind.

Max could only imagine that she looked similar, the confusion clear in her as well. Was this Max real? Or just a more sophisticated copy?

Before she could summon her voice to ask anything, the other Max came to her senses and spoke first.

" _Wha-_ " that Max began, only to be cut off. Whatever she would have said was lost, as in the space of a heartbeat, Max was elsewhere.

-~-

This time, the change was more like Max expected. Her whole body _ached_ , and the rapid bumping motion she felt every second didn't help at all.

Max was in Chloe's arms being carried across the cemetery, though it was difficult to tell exactly how far they had gone with the disorientation from returning from that strange place still present. Chloe was so focused on making it back to the car she didn't notice her shuffling about.

"Dammit, Max," she heard Chloe whisper. "You're like twelve pounds soaking wet, but this is harder than I thought. I really need to lay off the cigarettes."

" _Chloe..._ " she tried to say, her voice barely carrying.

"I knew I should've taken you back sooner. This is all my fault. I'm so sorry."

" _ **Chloe!**_ "

That was enough to get her attention. The sudden surprise of finally hearing Max was almost enough to cause Chloe to drop her to the ground, but she stabilized her grip after taking a moment to stop. 

"Oh thank god, Max. Are you okay? We're almost to the truck; I can get you to the hospital."

"I think I'm alright for now. Can you please let me down?"

Chloe was barely holding on, and Max didn't want to hit the ground twice in as many minutes. Her head was clearing; she could try to walk to the truck herself.

Chloe obliged, thankfully, though she was careful not to let go of Max before she was certain that she could stand on her own. Max's stance wasn’t entirely steady, but taking a moment to compose herself on her own two feet helped immensely. Being tossed around by someone who could barely lift her was aching.

The instant it looked like Max wouldn’t fall over again, Chloe went in for another hug and nestled her head in the crook of Max's neck. This time, Max quickly returned it, wrapping her arms all the way around and rubbing her hands along Chloe's back.

"I was just, so fucking scared," Chloe breathed, sending a slight tingle through Max's ear. "I thought it happened again. Right after I got you back I thought I was going to lose you."

"You're not going to lose me, Chloe," Max said. "It was just one thing, I'm sure of it."

"One thing? This is way more than one thing. You can't know that. This is exactly what happened to Old Max before everything happened. Nosebleeds and headaches and suddenly she's gone."

Max shook her head. "I think this is diff-"

"It's _not._ " Chloe interrupted, breaking the embrace and putting her arms on Max's shoulders so they were face-to-face. Her eyes were intense with a serious fire that Max had never seen before. "It's exactly the same, and she acted like it was no big deal either. Do you know how heartbreaking it was watching you in that hospital?"

"I... no." That was all Max could say. She knew that Chloe had waited that entire time for her, and she could only imagine how terrible that must have been.

"It's not that you were completely asleep, like someone on a stupid soap opera. I could've dealt with that. It was that you had your eyes open and you could breathe and swallow and everything, but there was no life in you. Occasionally you would make noises that almost sounded like they could've been words, but the doctors told me that it didn't mean anything. There was no one inside there, and it was devastating."

"I didn't know..." Max said.

"I know, Max. I don't want to make you feel guilty for something that you had no control over, but you have to understand. That was the worst time of my life. And I've had some pretty shitty moments. I had no idea when you'd wake up, if you ever would, and I don't ever want that to happen ever again."

"It won't. I'm not going to let it. We can figure it out."

"Figure it out?" Chloe shook her head. "There's nothing to figure out here. The only thing we're doing is getting you back to the hospital."

"I don't think a doctor can help with this. I know this will sound weird, but I think I had a vision of some sort."

Chloe slapped her hand over her face and sighed. That wasn't a good sign.

"You're having visions again? Is it about the storm?"

Storm? Chloe mentioned something about that when Max had just woken up, but she said that it never came.

"No, no storm. I was in this... great void filled with giant floating rocks. The rocks had holes in them and when I looked through, I saw us."

"Us?" Chloe asked.

"Like... let me just ask. Did we ever have a big argument? Big enough that you stomped away in anger?"

"Uh..." Chloe paused a moment to think. "No. We never really fought too harshly that whole week. It was mostly other people causing problems."

"Hm. What about a girl with blonde hair? She had a blue feather in her hair and we were all smoking together. Did that happen?"

Chloe's face soured. "Blonde with a blue feather? That's Rachel Amber for sure. And that never happened, she bailed long before you got here. You never met her, thank fuck."

"Oh. So it's not memories of things that happened to us. Maybe it's a vision of the future?"

Chloe let out a sharp laugh at that. "Let's hope not. I don't know what I'll do if I ever see Rachel again, but it sure as shit isn't going to be smoking with her."

By that time, they had both arrived back at Chloe's truck. On the truck window, Max could see that she still had dried blood on her lip, so she tried to wipe it off the best she could with her shirt. She cleaned most of it up, but could still taste it on her tongue.

Inside, they buckled up and Chloe said nothing as she started the engine and drove them away. This far from town, everything was in the same direction, so Max asked the immediate question.

"Are you taking me back to the hospital?"

Chloe sighed, then waited a moment, thinking. "I should. I don't know what they could do though. I think you're right."

"If you think it's better..." Max said.

"No. You had a vision, which means this is something to do with your powers. I think we should learn more so we can try and get your memories back. I think Old Max knew something, and that's why she acted so weird on the cliff. This is some freaky shit, and if we find out what she knew, maybe we can fix it."

"That's a good idea. Maybe we can figure out what those things I saw were."

"Did your journal help any? If you read them, I mean."

 _The journal!_ Max had gotten so wrapped up in classes and then Chloe in her room that she completely forgot to read the rest of the entries. That was bound to be useful. Unfortunately, she left it in her backpack, which was still in her dorm.

"I started, but I didn't finish. I can read them when I get back to Blackwell."

Chloe just hummed in agreement, driving them back into town.

-~-

The way into town was quieter than the way out, the lack of music from the radio a large part of that. Neither of them felt much like chatting after what happened. Max knew that she shouldn't go back to the hospital; she needed her memories more than anything. But there was no way Chloe was happy with that.

Max would give anything to know what was going on in her brain right now. Watching her focus on the road, last reflections of evening light shining on her face, Max thought that she was actually very beautiful—in a punkish sort of way. _Not that that's a bad thing at all._

Max didn't know how she knew, but she did. This was a moment to keep, even with the weight of everything earlier hanging over the both of them. Besides, Max had decided that she wanted to take more photos, and even though she didn't have a proper photography camera, her phone would do well enough.

As stealthily as she could, Max pulled out her phone and propped it up against the window beside her. The truck was driving fairly smooth at the moment, so she could easily adjust it so that she could catch both herself and Chloe in the picture.

Once she had everything just perfect, she gave a nice smile, to contrast the slight frown on Chloe's face. As she pressed the button, her phone gave a soft _ca-click_ in imitation of a proper camera.

"Did... you just take a selfie?" Chloe asked. It seemed she heard the noise.

"Yeah. I felt like it was a good moment with the light. I got both of us in it. I hope that's okay."

Chloe quickly glanced over to Max, eyebrow raised, but kept on focus on the road ahead.

"Are you feeling alright, Max? Anything weird going on?"

"Um... I feel fine right now. It was just a picture of the two of us." Why did Chloe think that was so weird? She _was_ a photography student. One could only expect her to take a picture when the feeling came to her.

Chloe shook her head slightly and gave a soft smile. "Cool. Was just unexpected, is all. I'm glad to see you're getting back into photography. It always was your passion."

"I don't really remember doing much of it, but it just feels _right_."

"Keep with it, Maxi. You'll do great." Chloe said nothing more as they made their way through town to Blackwell.

It didn't feel like much longer until Chloe pulled into the parking lot. It was filled with cars of students and faculty, making it impossible for Chloe to take up multiple spaces, so she just slid into an empty one and parked normally, much to her annoyance.

It was getting late at this point, and Max still needed to begin studying to catch up on her classes. She would love to spend more time with Chloe, but that could wait for tomorrow. Chloe probably needed to get home, and Max wanted to be well-rested for her second day.

They gave each other a quick goodbye and another friendly hug at Chloe's insistence before Max got out of the car. A small wave back, and she began making her way to her dorm. As she approached the end of the lot, she looked to where the truck was parked and was surprised to find that Chloe hadn't yet pulled away. In fact, from what Max could see, she had turned the truck off completely.

Chloe had both her hands on the wheel, but she had her elbows locked straight, shaking slightly. Max could just make out her whispering something to herself as she stared forward out the windshield at nothing.

Max changed direction and walked back over to the truck, weaving through the many cars trying to get a better look at Chloe. She didn't need to get started on work _immediately_ ; she could see what was going on. Besides, her friend was far more important than any school.

She didn’t try to hide her approach at all, and when she was a few feet away, Chloe noticed her. She rolled down the window and tossed an arm out, trying to act casual, but Max wasn't fooled.

"Hey..." Chloe started, tossing the word into the air. "Miss me already?"

"What were you doing just now? You were acting a little weird." Max tried to put a bit of sternness into her voice like her mom always did. She wasn't sure if it came out quite as she wanted, though.

"Oh, you saw that? Sorry. Just... psyching myself up to get back home, y'know?"

Right. Things weren't so good with her at home. Her stepdad was causing problems, and her mom didn't seem to want to help. It wouldn't be right to make her go home, and Max could spare a night, right? Her bed could fit them both if Chloe didn't want the couch.

"Do you want to stay in my room tonight? There's enough room for both of us and we could watch a movie or something."

Chloe chuckled. "Wow, Max. Inviting me up to your room already? You really do move fast."

Max didn't even have time to register the blush before it filled her cheeks.

"I didn't mean it like that..." she said.

"I know, Maxi. You're far too innocent. It's a pain sometimes, you know that?"

"I'm sorry if I'm being a pain. I just don't want you to go home if you don't want to."

Chloe waved her arms as if trying to shake that notion away. "That's not what I meant, you dork. If you don't have too much work or anything to do, I wouldn't mind staying, if that's okay."

"Of course it is, that's why I asked."

"Thanks, Max." Chloe got out of the truck and walked with her—never stepping out of arm's reach—back to the dorm.

-~-

In the room, Max read her textbook by lamplight. It had gotten too dark for the window to be of any use, and she didn't want to light the entire room up with Chloe there resting. She had her eyes closed and looked quite peaceful—a long cry from the excited and talkative woman she was while awake.

Max's time, however, wasn’t spent so calmly. She had been trying to get through several pages of her textbook for over an hour with only a small headache to show for it. _Damn you, 'Fundamentals of Chemistry'._ This attempt at studying wasn't getting her anywhere useful.

Earlier, Victoria had sent her a surprisingly friendly text. With the way she acted earlier and what Old Max had said, she expected that they would be enemies, or at least slightly antagonistic toward each other. It wasn't like Max expected to be very popular or anything.

_**Victoria** : Nate told me he managed to track you down. I know he can be a little weird but just give him a chance. You're his friend and he isn't going to try to do anything to make you uncomfortable. If he does, just tell me. I'll deal with him. Don't be afraid to talk with me if you need anything. My door is always open for you._

_**Max** : He is a little strange haha. But I think it will be fine. He helped Chloe out, so that's cool of him. And thanks a bunch for that Vicky! :P_

_**Victoria** : Please don't call me that._

_**Victoria** : :P_

During that conversation, she had shot Kate a _when are you free for a study session???_ but had yet to receive a response. It was too late for something like that tonight even if she had responded anyway, and if Max had to look at one more covalent bond, she might just die.

Instead, now that she had done at least a decent attempt at trying to learn something tonight, she could spend the rest of her time tonight hanging out with Chloe. At least, until she absolutely had to sleep for class tomorrow.

"Hey, Chloe. You awake?"

Apparently, she wasn't all the way asleep, because she tossed out a tuneless _hmmm?_ in response.

"I think I'm done studying for now. Do you want to watch a movie or something on my laptop?"

Chloe sat up, rubbing her eyes and giving an unnecessarily loud yawn as she nodded her head. She reached down to where Max had set her backpack and passed it over.

Max reached inside to grab her laptop for a movie, but as she took a look in, she saw the one thing she had completely forgotten about. Again. Her journal was in the pocket, right where she had left it.

She pulled that out instead. Chloe raised her eyebrow from the bed at the sight, but relaxed after a quick _Give me a minute?_ from Max. The movie would come soon, but Max wanted to read this now before it slipped her mind for the third time.

She immediately wished she hadn't.

-~-

**October 1 st:**

_October. My favorite month and the absolute best weather of the year. I love watching the leaves change color, turning into tiny flames. But it's still too damn hot (thanks global warming) and I can't bust out the big coats and sweaters or scary movies yet. Soon, so soon. Kate let me borrow "The October Country" by Rad Bradbury._

_I thought I hadn't read it, but the moment I began I realized it seemed so familiar. I must have read it back in Seattle and completely forgotten. A wandering mind is mine. Oh well. I'll have to return it to her when I get a chance._

_And now that it's autumn, I need to find a real Halloween party to crash so I can experience some social mingling. The little I have done so far is going well at least. Victoria and Nathan are nicer than I expected, though I just seem to know the right things to say to them, though I forget where I learned some of this stuff about them. Gossip travels at the speed of sound, I suppose. Never thought of myself as a social monkey, but it's working! Popularity here I come._

**October 9 th:**

_What the fuck What the fuck WHAT THE FUCK! I must be going insane or something. Please tell me it was a dream. I was talking with Chloe and then I was in someone's room and then I was talking to Nathan for some reason and I don't know why I said the things I did. Why did I threaten Mr. Jefferson and Nathan's dad like that?_

_And then we talked but I don't really remember much because it's all a blur for some reason._

_I don't even remember saying any of the things I did but I still have the memories of doing it, if that makes any sense. Can you have memories of memories? This isn't the first time this has happened but I just ignored it. The letter, the names, the photos. Oh silly me I thought. This is serious. Every time I leave this room I lose myself again. Have I been body-snatched?_

**October 11 th:**

_Body-snatcher me cut my leg on a rusted bus earlier. I was hiding something but I don't know what. I don't even know how I knew about this place. When did she show up? When did I start losing myself? Why do they let me write in this thing? It would be easier if they didn't let me think about it._

_I don't think I'm the only one either. I talk to myself or they talk to themselves or they're talking to me or I don't know. This isn't the first time this has happened I think._

_I'm going to die, aren't I? And no one will even know I'm gone._

_**I tried to give you as much time as possible. I'm sorry, Max. I always am.** _

_I don't want to die._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What makes a _Max_?
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Next chapter: 8-24


	10. Syncing

_"So I tried to talk to Max earlier, but it was the same as last few times," Warren began._

_"Uh-huh..." Brooke's bored voice came staticky through his headset._

_"Do I have a weird smell? Something in my teeth every time I see her? I just—Did they seriously just pull those adds?—I just don't get it."_

_Brooke didn't respond to his comments, and instead focused on calling out her targets, the rattle of key presses the only other noise over their private chat._

_Warren suddenly shouted as their characters were quickly overwhelmed. "How do these tanks expect to get healed when they're all the way over there? They have no idea what they're doing..." He didn't bother muting himself as he sighed for the third time this encounter. "The wipe isn't all bad, I guess. It gives me a chance to do this. So, Max said something really int-"_

_"Can you please shut up about Max? I really don't want to hear about her right now. Or ever."_

_"It's not about her, Brooke. I've... got two tickets to a drive-in this weekend and was kinda wondering if you'd like to go. With me. On a date."_

_"Oh."_

-Final Timeline, October 3rd

* * *

Max scrambled up from her seat, tossing the journal across the room where it fell on her couch with a small _thud._ Chloe might have said something from the bed, but Max was too focused on what she had read to listen.

_That journal can't be right. It has to be some kind of practical joke._

If it was a joke, it was a poor one. What she read was nothing at all like what she expected, and the implications raced through her mind. Something had frightened Old Max enough to think she was going to die, and it probably had something to do with her missing memories.

More possibilities came to her. What if the thing that made this happen came back? What if, now that she couldn't remember anything, she would be taken over even quicker? _What if it had already started?_

Max found it difficult to breathe as she rapidly ran through numerous scenarios and questions, each more worrying than the last. She hadn't been expecting anything as serious as this, and combined with the stress of her vision earlier, the situation was overwhelming her.

There was a strange tingling in her arms, as if they didn't fit her body correctly, and her head ached, a sheer pressure building from the back of her skull. At some point, she had begun pacing around the room, and the rapid motion made her slightly nauseous, but she didn't stop. Nothing made sense. The more she learned, the more painful learning became.

Before Max could spiral deeper into her mind, she felt a pair of arms wrap around from behind and hold her tight. She barely felt the pressure, but the sharp smell of cigarettes and pot pierced her thoughts. Chloe whispered softly into her ear, and it took a few moments for her words to register.

"-lax, Max. It'll be okay. Just try to calm dow-"

Her voice cut off unexpectedly and continued into some other sentence, but Max barely noticed. Chloe's words sounded as if they had been broken up and stitched together oddly in a way difficult to parse. Instead, she tried to pay attention to the physical sensations around her.

Max struggled weakly within Chloe's grip, but she held on tight. Max _knew_ she needed to slow down and not let herself float away again. Her mind still dwelled on what she had read, and her body reacted with everything it had.

They stood like that for several minutes, Chloe holding Max and refusing to let go. Max couldn't move and pace as her body was crying to, but their embrace wasn't uncomfortable. It allowed her to attempt to calm herself as she usually did, and the feeling of another living person holding her helped. She only wished Chloe didn't have to see her like this. She just needed time, that was all.

She was finally beginning to calm down, breath filling her lungs after those feelings had sneaked up on her. These episodes happened more often than Max preferred, which was never. Every time, they felt like the end of the world, and she worried that eventually it would take her away. After, she knew that was silly, but she never thought about afterwards until it came.

"Thank you, Chloe," Max whispered, as if afraid that if she spoke loudly her mind would unravel again.

Chloe responded with only a soft _hmm_ , and continued her embrace.

Max had returned to Earth, finally away from that terrible feeling and ready to talk again, when she felt Chloe disappear from behind her. It wasn't that she felt the hold end, but that arms were around her one moment, and the next they weren't.

Max looked to her left and saw Chloe staring down at her journal, its spine bent inwards and several pages slightly bent by the throw. It was open facedown, only the cover visible from above, but there was still a sense of unease that washed over Max as she looked at it.

"Was it that bad?" Chloe asked.

"It... wasn't good." An understatement, if anything. Old Max was _terrified_.

Chloe didn't take her eyes off of it. Max could see her chewing at her lip, dying to ask something. Max knew what it was, and thought that with another person to understand, it wouldn't seem so terrible.

"You can read it," Max said. "There's nothing embarrassing in there. It's just... at the end."

Chloe gave her a silent nod as she took a seat on the couch and grabbed the journal, smoothing out the pages and starting from the beginning. Max didn't want to watch, so she turned to the window and raised the blinds, looking out on the empty field.

The sun had gone down a couple hours ago, and the area outside the dorm was devoid of the life it had that morning. She saw a small group of people leaving through the front door, full of energy and conversation. They were hard to make out, but they didn't look like anyone Max knew.

It had been only a single day since she had returned to Blackwell, but that didn't ease the fact that she felt like she was out of her depth. Everyone already knew her and had their own opinions about who she should be, but the truth was that Max wasn't the same person they knew. Some people, like Warren, were kind enough to look past whatever she had done before. Others, not so much.

Maybe she knew those kids stumbling around in the dark. If she hadn't lost her memories, perhaps she would be out there with them, doing things she shouldn't, but having no regrets for it. Unfortunately, nothing concrete had come back, and it looked like it wouldn't any time soon, unless something drastic happened.

Chloe's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Shit, Max. I don't know what to make of this."

She turned and saw Chloe sitting there with the journal neatly closed beside her. Chloe had read that incredibly fast, because Max could have sworn she had only been watching out the window for less than a minute.

"Like, where do we even start?" Chloe continued, making eye contact with her for the first time since she read the journal. "Your body got stolen? I can tell you that you didn't act any different when we were together, and that was a decent part of the week."

"I don't know, Chloe."

"It's like there was you and someone pretending to be you, but you-you could still remember things that not-you did. Does that make sense?"

" _I don't know!_ "

Max didn't want to think about that anymore right now. She had just calmed down and now Chloe was interrogating her about things she knew nothing about. Max tried to stay calm, but she soon felt tears beginning to leak from her eyes.

"Hey, hey..." she heard Chloe say. "I didn't mean to upset you. We don't have to worry about this right now, anyway. It's late, so let's say we hit the sack, alright? I think some rest might help us both."

Max nodded wordlessly, focusing on keeping her breathing steady.

She felt a tug on her arm, and she followed it to her bed, laying down without bothering to undress. She pulled the sheets up to her neck and rolled until she was facing the wall. Her photo wall was just visible out of the corner of her eye.

"Do you want me on the couch or here with you?" Chloe asked.

Max only gave a halfhearted shrug in response. She appreciated having someone beside her—it was instinctively relaxing and warm—but she didn't want Chloe to sleep there just because she felt she needed to. Come tomorrow, she could read those entries again and think about what to do. The weight of those words had just sneaked up on her, that was all. She just needed time to compose herself.

Max heard the click of her lamp being turned off, sending the room into darkness. Chloe must have taken her shrug as an acceptance, because Max felt a weight rock the bed as she slid in behind her. The bed was roomy enough for both of them to lay comfortably with only slight contact. Their arrangement was comfortable, and Max felt her worries slide away with her consciousness.

Chloe mumbled something that might have been _goodnight_ , but Max was already asleep.

-~-

Max woke to the sun shining on her face. She had forgotten to close the blinds last night, and she regretted it. There was a warmth on her back and a pressure on her side, confusing her until she heard a long _snoooore_ that could only have come from Chloe.

Did Chloe sleep beside her all night? She must have, Max thought; otherwise she would still be on the couch. Max vaguely recalled her asking, but even that was uncertain. It didn't matter anyway, because if the sun was up, she would have to get ready for class soon.

Max didn't know what time it was, so she felt for her phone in her pocket and tried to wiggle it out as softly as possible. She grabbed hold of it without waking her bed mate, though Chloe did shuffle and groan wordlessly at her movements.

After giving Chloe a few seconds to settle, Max opened her phone, immediately blinded by the bright screen. She turned the brightness down to acceptable levels to check the time, seeing that she also had several unanswered texts.

**_Kate_ ** _: Sry, Max. My phone was off. Thursday wrk for u? If u would rather do another day let me know TTYL :)_

**_Nathan_ ** _: hey max me and the vortex club are having a get together Wednesday. youre invited ofc and if you dont show up ill be personally offended. vic will be there too if you care_

**_Mom_ ** _: Max it's Mom. Just checking in to see how you're doing. We're both worried about you and want to make sure school is going okay. Text us if you need anything. Love you so much._

Max sent a quick _Thursday_ _sounds great Kate! xomaxo_ and began typing up responses to the other texts from her position on the bed, but a quick glance at the time stopped her. _9:15_ flashed steadily from the top of her screen. If she wanted to take a shower and get ready for class, she needed to be up and moving fifteen minutes ago. Unfortunately, having forgotten to set an alarm, she was awake later than she should have been, and no-

 _Wait. I have time powers_.

Max carefully extracted herself from Chloe's grip and placed herself in the center of her room. Chloe was beginning to stir and rub her eyes, but that wouldn't matter. Grabbing hold of that power in the corner of her mind, Max watched the bed as she rewound the world as far as she could without giving herself a headache.

It was odd, seeing Chloe's hands embrace someone that wasn't there, and the unnatural backward movement of her body only added to the effect. The moment Max released her power, Chloe's upper arm flopped to the bed. She shuffled around slightly from the disappearance, but didn't wake.

Another look at Max's phone showed _9:03_. A twelve-minute rewind, further than she ever managed in the hospital. Max didn't know whether it was the rest, the practice, or simply the change of scenery that helped, but she wouldn’t complain about the extra morning time.

Max gathered her clothes and shower supplies, careful not to wake Chloe, and made her way out the door toward the girl's bathroom. People would already be up and about, getting ready for class. Max only hoped that there was still some hot water left.

The bathroom was surprisingly empty for this time in the morning, but that just gave Max more time to herself. Thankfully, the shower was still warm, so she took her time and let the water soothe her. As it always did in calming situations, Max's mind sorted out her thoughts.

_Man, I wish things didn't have to be so complicated. First my missing memories and now it looks like Old Max had her body stolen? I mean, I don't feel like my body's being taken over by something else. Just the normal crazy you get when your brain doesn't work right._

_My anxiety keeps flaring up again, and now Chloe had to see it too. I hope she doesn't think I'm weak. If I can just get through the week and stay calm, I think it'll be okay._

_Speaking of Chloe, I wonder what's going on with her at home. I know her stepdad is a douche, in her own words, but is it really so bad that she won't even sleep there? Maybe if I go over there with her, it will help her out. It's only fair. I don't want her hurting._

Finished with her thoughts, Max turned off the shower, dried off as best she could with her ratty old towel, and stepped out into the chilly bathroom. Her body instantly cried for warmth, but it would have to wait as she brushed her teeth.

Just as she finished washing her mouth, she heard the creak of the bathroom door swing open. Max turned to the sound as saw Warren's girlfriend, Brooke, shuffle in with a small shower pouch in her hand. She was fully dressed and wore an old plain hoodie with frayed sleeves. Her hair was down from the ponytail it had been in the last time they talked, and Max wouldn't be surprised if she had just rolled out of bed the way it flew everywhere wildly. Not that Max could talk.

At the sight of Brooke, Max mentally prepared herself for the second round of verbal beatings, but it wasn’t necessary, as Brooke spoke calmly to her instead.

"Hey, Max. I didn't expect to see you here. I, uh... talked to Warren yesterday. And we decided that I was a bit of a bitch to you. So, I'm sorry about that. He seemed really excited to make a new friend yesterday, and I didn't need to be like that. Sorry."

Max mulled over Brooke's apology. She seemed sincere, and Max didn't put it past Warren to bring up their conversation yesterday. They were friends, but Brooke had been unnecessarily antagonistic toward her then.

"It's okay, Brooke," Max said, deciding to follow her strategy of not making enemies. "Can you please just tell me what I did to make you act that way? I know you may not believe me, but I really don't remember, and I think it would help a lot."

At that, Brooke set her bag down on the counter and crossed her arms. Max could see the gears turning in her head on whether she should tell the truth, but eventually, she came to a decision. Brooke sighed and turned to speak at the mirror, avoiding eye contact.

"I know. You just... really upset Warren. He's a good guy—real friendly, you can tell. And when someone like him sees someone as nerdy as you he tries really hard to be friends. I don't know what it was but you just refused to talk to him. Every time he'd introduce himself you'd tell him to get lost."

Brooke paused to cough a few times into her sleeve.

"He's not one to back down easily, you know," Brooke continued. "But the last time he tried he said you just screamed at him to go away. You told him to go ask me out instead, which I don't get. We never said more than two words to each other. I mean, sure I liked him, but there's no way you could've known that. And seeing you just walk up to him and try to make friends like that set me off. I'm sorry for all of it, again."

Wow. That was not what Max expected to hear from her. Why would Old Max act so rude to Warren? He was a good friend, not that Old Max would ever have found out.

"Thank you for telling me all that," Max said. "I didn't realize how I treated him. I can't say I know why. Warren has been nothing but a great friend so far. He really cares about you too, you know."

"Yeah, I know. He's just a very social person, I guess. I'm not, and I don't think I'll ever be."

"Some people just aren't like that. I know I'm not either."

"I think extroverts are overrated anyway," Brooke said. "Thanks again for listening to me and understanding. I still have to get ready, and I'm sure you do too. I'll see you later, Max, and maybe I'll let you check out my drone if you want."

Max gave a small wave as Brooke gathered her bag again and made her way into a shower stall, apparently choosing to change in the bathroom instead of walking around in a towel. Max could see the appeal, but she hadn't thought to bring any clothes with her, so she had to walk back as she was.

When Max made it back to her dorm, Chloe was wide awake, sitting on the bed with her phone in her hands. As soon as Max closed the door, she stood and spoke, never taking her eyes off the device.

"Heya, Maxi. Sorry to be the one to bail like this, but I got places to do, things to be. I don't plan to hang around in your room all day while you're in class. You gonna be alright today?"

"I think so," Max said. "I'll be with Kate for most of the day if anything happens. I don't think it will though."

"Text me if it does though. But hey, let's get a quick picture in before I gotta go. It was like, a thing between us. Take a pic every morning to stay in practice, you know?"

Chloe wanted a picture? It was surprising, but Chloe's smirk was irresistible. Max knew she needed to work on her photography if she wanted to succeed, but she loved the hobby enough to indulge, regardless.

She grabbed her phone from the bed and pulled it up to snap a shot of Chloe, but Chloe gave a quick _no ya don't_ and pulled Max in beside her. Max didn't especially feel photogenic at the moment, considering she only had her only towel on and was still dripping from her shower, but she didn't resist.

The photo-shoot now a double-selfie, Chloe shot out a _say cheese!_ as she stuck her tongue out and crossed her eyes. Max, deciding to play along, scrunched up her face as far as possible in a silly expression.

The camera on Max's phone went off once more, and Chloe let go, her side slightly damp from the residual droplets hanging off of Max.

"I think that's definitely one to keep," Chloe said, making her way to the door. "And c'mon, Max. Get a better towel. That thing is so worn it's more like a sponge."

The door shut behind her with a soft click. Chloe was right. Why was this old thing the only one she had? Max supposed it wasn't all bad, it gave her a reason to go shopping for new clothes. Some extra shirts and pants would be a nice present to herself for making it back to school.

True, she had supposedly picked out what was in her closet, but she didn't remember doing so. That lack of connection made her fashion seem less _real_ , in some abstract way. In fact, her whole dorm felt the same, as if someone had simply copied what she would like best, but with no flair or personal touch to it.

She'd add more posters and clothing soon. For now, she had to get ready for class.

-~-

Max's classes on her second day were almost entirely different from the day before. Her schedule didn't follow any alternating weekday, which meant that every day had its own classes in a different order, making finding her way around a pain. However, with Kate's help for her morning class, and the use of her phone for her afternoon ones, she found the rooms on time without getting lost. It helped that everything was in a single building.

The lessons themselves weren't any more difficult than the ones she had done already, but that didn't stop the teachers from assigning homework. Max felt like the sole purpose of this school was to drain all the free time the students had, whether or not they learned anything.

Fortunately, Kate was a lifesaver, sitting next to Max in the classes they had together and filling her in on parts that made little sense. Which was all of it, at this point. Some things seemed somewhat familiar, but not enough that Max was willing to risk answering anything. The teachers didn't expect her to, thankfully, because she made it through without having to interact at all. If only every day could be as easy as that.

During lunch, Kate wasn't Max's only eating partner. She had grabbed her food and been greeted with Brooke and Warren also sitting at their table. They didn't have dozens of books with them like yesterday, leaving everyone ample room to eat as they talked.

Brooke talked about her new camera that she was excited to attach to her drone, and Warren hopped in with movie recommendations and science facts. Every so often, Brooke would lean over toward him, and he would hold her in a half-hug to rub her arm. Max thought they were so cute together, two nerds with so much in common.

Kate asked again about whether Thursday would work for their study session, and Max agreed for the second time. She was positive she had responded to her text, but didn't bring it up in case she was wrong again. It wouldn't be the first time she misremembered something. Things would be easier if she didn't argue.

The day continued with no unexpected interruptions—including strangers that expected her to know them—until Max received a text from Chloe around three o'clock.

 **_Chloe_ ** _: hey max ive been thinking (lol) and I think I know something with what that thing was talking about. You know. With the stuff. Meet me in the parking lot when you get out I gotta show you. Dont dawdle. I know where u live..._

Once again, Max had ended the day with piles of homework to work on, but if Chloe really had a lead on what those strange entries could mean, she had to take it. Someone possibly stealing her body always took priority over a paper on _Religious Divisions in Eastern Asia._ She would just have to ask Kate for help when they had their study session Thursday.

The moment her final class—Photography, where they watched a short documentary on the history of various types of lenses—released, she shot a quick general goodbye to her classmates, giving Kate a special one, and made her way to the lot. It was only four o'clock, so the sun was still shining. However, that would only last a few more hours at most. With the days becoming shorter, daylight was a precious resource, and every student was dying to make the most of it.

Chloe's truck was just as cluttered as usual, and Max was doubting it would ever be anything different. This time, there were several packs of cigarettes on the dashboard that hadn't been there the day before. How did Chloe even afford them? She didn't have a job, Max was sure.

Max had barely buckled in and given a hello before the truck kicked off and roared out of the parking lot. Chloe swerved around several students walking to their cars, throwing up pebbles as she pulled into the street without stopping. Max knew she wasn't the safest driver, but this was another level of dangerous.

Pulling out of Blackwell didn't help their speed any, and Max was beginning to seriously worry. A car crash was the last thing she needed, and even if they avoided that, a police officer was sure to pull them over.

"Hey... Chloe? You're going kind of fast. Can you please slow down a little?" Max had a death grip on her seat as they sped through town.

Chloe glanced down at the speedometer—twenty miles over the speed limit—and forced herself to slow to an acceptable speed. The breath that Max was holding released itself from her lungs.

"Sorry, sorry," she spoke for the first time since they entered the truck. "Just a lot on my mind right now. Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay, Chloe," Max replied. "I just want us to be safe. Do you want to talk about it?"

Chloe waited several moments to respond, likely choosing whether or not she truly did. She eventually settled on a silent shake of her head. Max didn't push her. Instead, she reached down to the radio and tuned it to a soft rock station she knew they would both enjoy.

Max was never the most supportive, but she knew that Chloe needed someone there for her. Not only for whatever had happened while she was in class, but everything going on at home as well. For now, Max leaned her head against the window to watch the scenery flow by, not knowing how long the drive would be, and hoped that Chloe would talk when she was ready.

-~-

Max woke up with a start to the sound of screeching tires on dirt followed by the slam of the driver-side door. Out the window, she could see a junkyard filled with totaled cars, a rusted bus, and even a small boat stacked on a pile of junk. Chloe sat on the hood of the truck, a lit cigarette in her mouth and the crumpled pack in her hand.

The smoke wafting from the cigarette was thick, causing Max to cough slightly as she got out of the truck and joined Chloe. At first, neither of them said anything while Chloe finished her smoke. When it finally burned down to the filter, she stubbed it out on the metal of the truck and crushed the rest underfoot.

"So, welcome to American Rust," Chloe said. "My home away from hell. At least it used to be until Rach bailed and left me here."

"It's... unique, I guess."

"A piece of shit, you mean. It's alright, Max. I won't be offended."

"You said this might have something to do with what was in my journal?" Max asked.

"Yeah. Old you mentioned something about a rusted bus, and what kinda place has one of those?" Chloe stood and made her way over to the ruined school bus and stepped in through the missing front door. The vehicle was just a metal frame more reddish-brown than yellow, the back end crushed slightly as if it had been hit from the rear, causing the middle to bulge outward. "I guess we just check and see if we find anything weird that she might have hidden."

"Oh. That makes sense," Max said.

"You go take a look around. If I find something I'll let you know," Chloe called from inside the bus.

Deciding to let Chloe search there, Max made her way around to the other end of the junkyard, figuring that they could start on the edges and meet in the middle. The only thing they had to go on was that one sentence, and they didn't even know if this was even the place the journal was referring to. They could be wasting their time for all they knew.

Chloe seemed confident though, and Max tried her best to share that feeling. The only way they would know for sure was to search, so she picked a large half-frame that might have belonged to a bus, or possibly a totaled eighteen-wheeler, and crawled inside. She tried to avoid the rust and holes as much as possible, but quickly realized it was futile. Her clothes would be ruined, and she would definitely need a tetanus shot.

The first several vehicles turned up nothing but rust and twisted metal. Max could've sworn she heard rats shuffling around under one of the cars she checked, but she didn't stay long enough to find out. By the end of a half-hour of searching, she was ready for a break.

Earlier, she had noticed a small metal shack with some milk cartons inside that might be strong enough to hold her weight. Sitting on those would be less likely to kill her than anything else around, and she was sure her pants were more rust than fabric at this point.

The shack itself was trashed, and Max had to step around a cracked dartboard, empty beer bottles, and cardboard boxes before she found a spot to sit. Someone had obviously spent time here, and judging by Chloe's earlier comment, this was likely the place she went when she needed to be away.

Unfortunately, it wasn't in much of a livable condition anymore. The only thing that might have been remotely salvageable was the couch, and even that didn't have any cushion on it that wasn't torn apart, stuffing scattered around the shack.

Not even the walls were free of the destruction. The one with the entrance to the inside had several sizable dents in it. Max didn't know if those had always been there or if they were created with the disaster that brought on everything else. On the wall just beside it, however, were two markered sentences, the top one was scratched out to illegibility. The one below it read **_Chloe was here._ **

"Yo, Max!" Speak of the devil. She must have found something.

Max left the shack and tried to follow the sound of Chloe's voice. She said nothing else, but her strained grunts carried through the junkyard easily enough.

Around the back of the shack, Max found Chloe balancing precariously on her knees atop of a wooden spool sitting on an old tire about six feet up. The entire structure wobbled as Chloe leaned her torso into a red car on top of a stack of similar vehicles.

"What's in there, Chloe?" Max called up to her. "Do you want any help?"

"No need for anything, Max. I totally go- _Hey!_ "

A groaning sound coming from the car interrupted Chloe from where she leaned in half-inside, and Max saw everything suddenly shift several inches. Before she could even think of any way to help, the tire Chloe was indirectly balanced on slipped completely from its perch on a lower car, sending everything above it tumbling down.

Chloe had none of her weight on the car itself, so when her perch gave way, she came tumbling down wildly after it, too quickly to grab hold of anything solid. She landed feet-first, impacting the ground with a hefty _oomph_ , and from that height she had no hope of righting herself before she fell, meaning her entire body landed with all of its weight on one of her legs.

" _Jesus Christ!_ " was the first thing out of her mouth when she caught her breath. Max rushed over to check on her, but Chloe waved her off with a sharp yell. She was cradling her leg and Max saw blood oozing up into the hand that held her knee. "I think I broke my fucking leg! Back up, Max! Back up!"

She was right. The best way to fix this would be to stop it from happening in the first place. Max didn't even give it a second thought.

Without waiting another moment, she gathered her power once again and brought herself back roughly thirty seconds, to when she had just approached Chloe.

"Chloe! Watch out!" Max immediately yelled, trying to inject as much urgency into her voice as she could. "I just rewound! Pull yourself into the car before you fall!"

Chloe didn't question her. She immediately reached further into the ruined car, grabbed a hold of something inside, and pulled until her weight was all the way off of the wooden spool. As she did so, the entire structure of cars did the same groaning motion as before, causing everything to fall again. This time, without Chloe.

"Right on, Max!" Chloe called from inside. It was difficult to hear her, but Max could see her shuffling around in the front seats. "You really saved my ass there. Think I found something good too to make it worth it."

Chloe tumbled her way around the seats until she was facing forward. She held up a small black object she retrieved from the floor of the vehicle and lightly tossed it down to where Max was. Surprising herself with her dexterity, Max caught it safely and inspected it as Chloe shot her a thumbs-up from above.

It was a phone; the same brand as the one she currently had, only a couple of generations behind. It pleasantly surprised her to find that it still had enough charge to turn on as she pressed the power button. Meanwhile, Chloe carefully climbed down from the stack of cars she was in, jumping down the last couple feet.

The phone finished its boot sequence as Chloe walked up beside Max to look over her shoulder so they could both see what was on the screen. The first thing that appeared was the notifications, which showed that the phone had received twenty-three unread text messages, a low battery warning, and a confirmation for a _FastSync_ app.

" _FastSync_?" Chloe said over her shoulder. "Never heard of it."

The best way to find out would be to open it up, Max figured, so she tapped on its notification and waited as the app launched. It only took about ten seconds, and when it finished loading, they were met with a long list of text messages and photos, chronologically ordered from the newest. The most recent file was a single text message, time-stamped _11-5-13 3:03 pm_ , earlier that day.

 **_Chloe_** _: hey max ive been thinking (lol) and I think I know something with what that thing was talking about. You know. With the stuff. Meet me in the parking lot when you get out I gotta show you. Dont dawdle. I know where u live..._

It was the same message Max had received in class, and while she had never answered it, it made no sense as to why Chloe might have sent it to anyone else. Was this one copying her texts?

Max scrolled through the previous files and found that it contained not only messages she had sent and received, but also photos she had taken with the camera. The one she had taken of them both this morning was the second file in the list, and the one from the night before in the car was a few files back. Max pulled it up to verify, and she saw her own face smiling back with Chloe in the background, just as she expected.

Everything she had on her phone was being sent to this random one hiding in a junkyard. Neither of them recognized it, nor had any idea as to its owner.

"What does this mean, Chloe?" asked Max.

"I have no fucking idea. Is someone spying on you? This is super levels of creep right here."

"No kidding..."

As the words left Max's mouth, something in the picture she had taken the night before caught her eye. At the time, she had been positive the picture was taken in perfect focus, but on this phone, the entire image was indescribably blurry, random fragments clear for only half a moment at a time. It was as if she was looking at it through a piece of foggy glass that swirled in time to some unknown beat. Strangely, with each passing moment, the lights in the image seemed to grow brighter, drowning out the details.

Max pulled the phone closer to her face for a better look, and the focus shifted once more as she did. Chloe said something from beside her at some point, but the words didn't register, sounding as if they came through a thick closed door. The only thing on Max's mind was this odd photo, and why it wouldn't stay clear as she wanted it to. Chloe spoke once more from miles away, but her voice sounded different somehow. More... strained.

She felt a familiar tug in her right arm as the image in the phone finally snapped into complete focus. The world around her was clear for a brief moment before the ambient light grew too bright, overwhelming her. The only thing she comprehended was a broken conversation to her left; its participants unrecognizable.

_"Wait, no! Max, look aw-_

_-id... you just take a selfie?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She's still got it.
> 
> No update next week, because I'll be moving back to campus and I'm not sure how much time I'll have to work on this.
> 
> If you like the story so far, please drop a kudos or comment, even if you already have. It means a lot to me to see people responding to my work. Predictions, criticisms, compliments, etc are all welcome.
> 
> You guys are the best.
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Next chapter: 9-6...ish?


	11. Be Right Back/See You Soon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Description of injuries, including scars

_Chloe sat in the hospital room, all by herself. Sure, there was another body in the bed, but it couldn't be described as a person at this point. It was Max's body and nothing more._

_Two weeks so far, and answers were non-existent. The doctor was hopeful, for all that meant. That almost-corpse who still blinked wasn't Chloe's friend. Her better half._

_Her mind tore itself apart with indecision. Eventually, against every better judgment, she finally gave in. She raised her phone and took a picture of that body, making sure to get the face in clear view. The click echoed around a quiet room._

_Seconds ticked by while she waited. She watched the body closely, silently begging for a movement, a word, anything at all. Anything to bring Max back._

_After an entire minute of stillness, Chloe finally accepted that if Max was coming back, it wouldn't be through another photo. She hated herself for hoping._

-Final Timeline, October 25th

* * *

Max heard Chloe's voice a few feet beside her, but couldn't tell exactly where. Giant white spots dominated her vision, making it difficult to see. She rapidly blinked several times to clear them, but it didn't help much.

Chloe continued speaking. “Are you feeling alright, Max? Anything weird going on?”

Max was silent as she took several more seconds to clear away the spots, and saw that she was in Chloe's truck again. It was twilight now, the sun barely visible through the trees, and they were driving down a long, narrow road. Max's phone was set up on the outcrop beneath the car window, just as it was the night before. She had somehow managed to go back an entire day on accident.

She could feel Chloe eyeing her again, waiting for a response.

“Uh...” Max said, confused. “Why am I back here? Did I rewind too far?”

“ _Shit_.” She felt the truck lurch as Chloe slammed on the brakes, pulling them off to the side of the road. Chloe quickly unbuckled herself and turned in her seat to grab Max's wrist tight, a serious look on her face. “Listen, Max, I know you're very confused right now but it'll be okay. What day and time was it when you last remember?”

Max thought back. She hadn't specifically checked the time, but given that they left immediately after class and only searched in the junkyard for about half an hour, she could probably make a good estimate.

“Tomorrow. Around five-thirty, I think? Maybe six. We were at the junkyard looking for something that my journal mentioned.”

“Fuck that place. There was a reason I never wanted to go back.” Chloe shook her head, her grip on Max's wrist tightening. “We only have a few minutes, so not to make you freak out, but you gotta tell me everything that happened between now and then.”

“You're really scaring me, Chloe. Did I mess things up?” Max knew that Chloe had told her to use her powers responsibly, and now it seemed she managed to fail that. She wasn't even aware that she could rewind so far. The most she had ever gone back at once was less than five minutes.

“No no no. Everything's fine.” Chloe released her grasp and put her hand in Max's, squeezing it softly. The warm feeling of holding her hand calmed Max down. “All I need is to know what happened. I'll explain everything when you pop back, alright? You'll be right back. Won't feel like more than a few seconds.”

“Okay.” Max nodded. “Well, first you drove me home, but I didn't want you to have to go back and deal with David again, so I let you stay in my dorm. I finally read those journal entries, and it was really crazy.”

“Crazy how?” Chloe interrupted.

“Like... I don't really want to go over it. It was rough. I let you read it, so you can do that again.” She had read it once and been okay, Max thought, so there wasn't any harm in letting her again when she got to the dorm. Besides, if they didn't have much time there wasn't any point in wasting it talking about something Chloe could find out herself.

“Okay, Max. If you say so. What happened next?”

“We woke up, you said you needed to be somewhere, and I went to class. Right as I finished, you said the journal gave us a clue that might help, so you drove us to the junkyard to look for it. You were furious about something the entire time, but I don't know what.”

“Sounds like me. Guess I'll find out tomorrow. I know I'm a bitch and sorry if I took it out on you.”

“It's okay,” Max said, squeezing Chloe's hand. She was beginning to see the white spots again in the corner of her eyes. “Anyway, in the junkyard, you found a phone hidden in a red car on top of this big pile. We took a look inside, and it had this weird app that had been copying all of my texts and photos.”

“What the hell? That is super levels of creep right there.”

Max chuckled. “You said the same thing last time.”

“Damn right.” Chloe nodded. “What happened next? We don't have much time.”

“Uh...” Max stared out the window to think. A car passed by where they were parked, going well over the speed limit. “That's pretty much it, I think. I was looking at the photos and saw the one I took just now. It was all blurry on the phone, but when I managed to focus on it, I was here.”

Chloe looked confused. “So you weren't in terrible trouble or anything? All we did was find a phone?”

“Yeah.” Max nodded, turning back. “You fell off the cars and might have broken your leg though. But don't worry!” Max added as Chloe started. “I was able to rewind and save you, so everything was okay.”

“Thank fuck.” Chloe let go of Max's hand and collapsed back into her seat with a sigh. The spots in Max's vision had almost taken over everything, turning the surrounding scene into nothing but bright white. The only color she could see was Chloe, and only if she looked directly at her.

She felt the truck grumble back to life and climb back onto the road. Nothing outside the cabin was visible, but Max could tell they were moving again.

“That's a relief, really.” Chloe's voice began to fade away to some indescribable distance. The last words she said shrunk into a dull whisper as the white enveloped her.

“ _Just let me know whe-_ ”

-~-

“ _-to what I need! Yeah!”_

A thumping bass shook Max to the core when she snapped back. As the white in Max's vision cleared once more, she saw that she was still in Chloe's truck, and the radio was blaring a what was felt to her as maximum volume. They were driving through Arcadia Bay proper, not too far from the oceanfront.

“Alright, hippie,” Chloe said from the driver's seat. “I promised you could set the station, so make it count. We're almost there.”

“Uh... Chloe? I think I'm back now. It's me from yesterday.”

“Oh! Hey. Welcome back.” Chloe glanced over to the clock on the radio. _5:16_. “Thought I had a bit of extra time before you popped back, but that's fine. How are you feeling? Any nosebleeds?”

Max raised a finger to her nose to check and saw it come away clean. She could feel the faintest hint of a headache, but she could ignore it without difficulty. Chloe bobbed her head to the beat as the next song came on, mouthing along softly to the lyrics.

“Everything's okay for now, I think,” Max said. “It's really Tuesday again?”

Chloe nodded. “That's what the calendar says. Weird, right? It's only been a few seconds for you, but a whole day since we talked.”

“That wasn't a normal rewind, was it? You knew exactly what was happening the moment I took that selfie of the two of us. I time traveled through the picture.” It was the obvious answer, considering that Max was looking at a picture of that moment right as she went there. The real question was, why did it work so differently from her normal rewind?

“Yeah...” Chloe let the word hang in the air, glancing sideways at Max as she drove. “But I swear, Max. I was going to tell you as soon as it was a good time. Your rewind is powerful, but what you did there is _Dangerous_ with a capital D.”

“What makes it so dangerous that you couldn't even tell me that I could do it?” Max crossed her arms and looked out her window. Chloe had been keeping secrets this entire time, and Max was becoming sick of it. She wanted answers, but how was she supposed to get them when the one person she trusted most lied to her?

“Let me tell you something. Maybe it'll help you understand.” Chloe focused on driving for a few moments, collecting her thoughts. “So, the first thing people want to do when they get a time machine is like go back and kill Hitler, right? Or some other big change to make the world better.”

“Yeah...?”

“Well, Old You told me that you tried something drastic. You took one of the photos we had of us as kids and went back to save my dad. He never got in the car because you took his keys, and he never got in that crash and died.”

Max was confused. “But if I saved your dad, why is he dead?”

“I'm getting to that,” Chloe shushed. “So you save him, then pop back to the present thinking everything is wonderful only to find out that I got in the crash instead. Everything was different. I was paralyzed from the neck down, you were popular but kind of a bitch, and we were barely friends anymore. The worst thing about it all, though, is that I asked you to kill me.”

“What? Why would you do that?”

“I know I wouldn't want to live in a chair, not even able to wipe my own ass. I don't blame either of them for putting her out of her misery. Old Max ended up doing it, she told me. But she decided that she couldn't live with that, so she went back one more time and let him die.”

“All of that because I saved William?”

Another nod. “Changing things with photos is dangerous. You never know what will happen. It's the butterfly effect—one small change leads to unpredictable repercussions.”

As she said that, Chloe pulled off the road to the parking lot of a diner. _The Two Whales_. She crept the truck through, heading for an open spot. However, thinking over, one aspect of Chloe's short story stuck with her.

“Okay, so what about the Max from that timeline?” Max asked.

“What about her?” Chloe raised an eyebrow at her.

“Is she okay? If I ended up killing that version of you, is she the one that has to deal with that? Won't she get sent to prison for murder?”

Chloe pulled in to the spot, straighter than usual, managing to keep the truck well between the divisions. “I don't think that Max exists anymore. Everything got changed, so she's gone.”

The rumble of the engine died, but neither of them got out.

“Does that happen every time I use a photo? Between yesterday and when I came back, there had to have been another me running around going to classes. I heard you talk to her.” This entire situation was confusing. There were so many Maxes to refer to, and none of them were the same.

“Yeah, but she wasn't—I dunno, _you_. Does that make any sense?”

“But she moved and talked. Doesn't that make her someone? Did she have powers too?” Max pressed.

“I don't know, Max; I didn't ask. I'd try not to think about it too hard. You're the only Max here. That was probably just you working on autopilot.”

“Maybe...” Max didn't know if she agreed. The truth was, she didn't think Chloe really knew what she was talking about. Who was she to decide this kind of thing? Maybe she was right, and time travel was too dangerous to use, especially considering how little either of them understood.

Neither of them spoke for about a minute, so they sat in the truck waiting. Max stared out the window into the parking lot while she considered the repercussions of her involuntary time travel, and Chloe jittered around in her seat, restless.

“Look,” Chloe said, breaking the silence. “I gotta get a smoke in me. Why don't you head inside and find us a seat? I'll be right in.”

Max nodded in acceptance and left the truck, happy to move past the small argument. She hated when they disagreed and neither of them backed down. They'd be fine soon, she knew, even though she the thought of a forgotten Max drifting through timelines brought her mood down. She'd have to be careful when she photojumps, just in case.

She made her way into the diner and was immediately struck by the mouthwatering smell of greasy food. Her heart began to clog up from being around it. She spotted an empty booth at the other end of the room, right next to the jukebox blaring some country song she didn't recognize. Truckers and fishermen lined the counter, yelling for plates and refills at a couple of waitresses rushing with food in hand.

The place was busy, which wasn't surprising for a dinner rush, and while she wanted to claim the booth before anyone else, she needed to wash up before she ate. For some reason, her hands felt a little slimy. Probably something she touched in Chloe's truck.

In the bathroom was exactly what Max expected from one as well-traveled as this diner was. There was only a single dirty stall, graffiti covering every inch of the walls inside, and the sink leaked a constant _drip drip_ below a dingy, cracked mirror. Max turned on the cool water to wash her hands. Her tired face stared back at her, details smudged on the greasy glass.

_I'm so glad Chloe's here to help me through this. I know I should be a little angry at her for holding this back, but it's hard to after I learned about how I saved her dad. It's understandable that she wouldn't want me to make a mistake like that again, but couldn't she have trusted me not to? All I want are answers. No more holding back, Chloe. Please._

A soft dripping on the ground snapped Max out of her thoughts. She had left the water running too long, and it had begun to spill over the edge of the sink. She slapped the knob back and watched the water choke down the slow drain.

Another short bit of missing time. Max didn't know why it happened, but it never lasted more than a minute or so, as she could tell. It wasn't a real problem, she lied to herself.

Max knew she had been in the bathroom for a while, so she exited and looked over to the empty seats. Chloe had already come in and sat there. She quickly spotted Max hovering around the door to the bathroom and waved her over.

“Took you long enough.” Chloe stuck her tongue out in jest. “Waitress already came by. I got you a bacon omelet, that alright?”

“That sounds great, Chloe. I'm not very hungry, but I could stuff something down.”

“That's the spirit! Oh, and before I forget.” she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small black phone. It was the same one they had found before Max had gone back. “While you were at school today I went over and grabbed this for us again. Took a look through, and I was right. Hella to the creepy.”

Max took the phone and turned it on again. She was surprised to see that it now had a full battery; Chloe must have charged it during the day. It still held the same _FastSync_ app as before, but when she checked it, the newest conversation that had been sent from her phone was not one she remembered.

**_Chloe_ ** _: heyyyy Max Attack. Feeling up for a bite to eat?_

 **_Max_ ** _: Yes please! Anything to save me from this horror that is homework._

 **_Chloe_ ** _: I'll be your knight in shining armor anytime. See you soon._

The messages had been sent about half an hour ago. It looks like Chloe didn't pick her up immediately after class this time around. Max also realized she hadn't checked the texts that had been sent to the phone itself, so she pulled them up to see almost a dozen unresponded messages sent from _Nathan P._

**_Nathan P_ ** _: swear to fuck caulfield you better respond_

 **_Nathan P_ ** _: why are you ignoring me_

 **_Nathan P_ ** _: what the shit_

 **_Nathan P_ ** _: V justsaid youer in the hospital waht the fuck happened_

 **_Nathan P_ ** _: please gte betters oon max_

 **_Nathan P_ ** _: you dont deserve this_

 **_Nathan P_ ** _: thank god youre awake get back to me when you see this_

 **_Nathan P_ ** _: I know you got like personal time or w/e I get that. But let me know youre okay_

 **_Nathan P_ ** _: goddammit if I had your girlfirends number id try that but I dont_

 **_Nathan P_ ** _: you better not be ignoring me_

 **_Nathan P_ ** _: or in the hospital again I mean seriously_

“Two bacon omelets?” The waitress appeared next to the table with a tray holding their food. Max put the phone into her pocket as Chloe grabbed the plates and slid one over to her. It was probably for the best that the food came when it did; there weren't any more texts to look through and Max didn't want to risk looking at any photos again.

Chloe thanked the waitress and handed Max a fork and knife. “Dig in. Bon appétit and all.”

After only a single bite, Max could safely say that was the best omelet she had had in a long time.

-~-

“Alright, I'm stuffed.” Max pushed her plate away as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. They had spent the past half an hour talking about themselves, mostly to help Max learn more, but also to get their minds off of the idea of time travel.

Chloe eyed the final two bites before spearing them with her fork. She quickly stuffed them in her mouth without a word. Max didn't mind, she doubted she could eat another bite if she tried.

The waitress came by with the check, and Max pulled out her wallet to pay, but Chloe waved her away.

“My treat. Usually, my mom lets it slide, but she's out with David tonight. Might as well start paying off my tab. Anyway, you ready to go?”

Max nodded and stood to leave. She heard a grunt as Chloe rose from the booth, leaning with her hand on the back of her seat, trying to put all of her weight on her leg. It was clear that she was favoring her left side as they made their way to the door, Max immediately noticed.

Chloe shot Max a smile to play it off, but Max shot her a glare of concern in response. Max didn't want to bring it up while they were still in the diner, so she quietly walked over, lifted Chloe's arm around her shoulder, and let Chloe lean on her until the made it outside.

It wasn't too far to the truck, so Chloe was able to get into the driver's seat by herself. The moment Max's door shut behind her, she immediately jumped in with the obvious question.

“What the hell happened, Chloe? You're hurt!”

Chloe chuckled. “Thanks captain obvious, but I was trying not to worry you.”

Max hated to admit it, but she was a little furious at Chloe. Even though she was the best friend Max had, and she wouldn't give her up for anything, she could be a _pain_ sometimes.

“It's not your job to not worry me. I can take care of myself. But you've been keeping so much from me. First everything about that teacher and the girl that died, then my photo power, and now this. Why don't you trust me?”

Chloe started the car and pulled them out of the parking lot, pointedly not looking at Max. “It's not—” she hesitated. “Not that I don't trust you. There's just a lot of stuff going on and I don't want to overwhelm you with everything. It hasn't even been a month since you've woken up.”

“I'm doing fine. If we're going to work together like this then I don't want you lying to me. If I can't take it I'll let you know, but I don't like being left in the dark like this.” Max finally said what was on her mind. She put down the ultimatum because she refused to let this go on.

Chloe didn't respond for several moments—long enough that Max thought she wouldn't at all. She focused her attention entirely on the road. When she finally replied, she was so quiet that Max almost didn't hear her.

“Okay... no more keeping anything from you. I swear.”

Max only gestured to her, waiting for her to expand on the obvious problem.

“Yeah, like I said,” Chloe began. “While you were in class I went to the junkyard and found that phone where you told me it was. I was careful, mostly. Tried to make sure the stack of cars was steady before I climbed on, but I guess I wasn't as smart as I thought. The whole thing shifted while I was getting out, and I fell from a good eight feet up. I landed sideways on a brick, so my side hurts to walk on.

“Your leg isn't broken, is it?” It didn’t look like it was, but considering what had happened last time, she didn't want to take the risk.

“No. Wasn't that bad. Should heal up soon.”

Chloe was playing it off, but Max saw she was clearly injured. Even though she could barely stand in the diner, she tried to act like she was completely, which only raised Max's suspicion that the injury was worse than she made it seem. It was one more thing that the refused to be open about.

“Do you have anything to help it heal? You should have a first aid kit or something.”

“Uh...” Chloe thought for a moment. “I think I have one at home in the bathroom. I'll have to check.”

Max honestly didn't trust Chloe to deal with it properly. She hoped that didn't make her a bad friend. “Why don't we go to your house then? You said your mom and stepdad were out, so we won't run into them.”

She didn't receive a response for several moments as Chloe thought it over. Max knew she didn't want to go home, but the suspicion that Chloe had been sleeping in her car without a change of clothes overruled that. Maybe with Max there, she would take care of herself.

When Chloe finally responded, Max expected an argument, but instead received a silent nod and a soft _okay._ The truck turned on a side street as Chloe changed course and took them to her house.

-~-

Max tried to start a new conversation on the ride over, but Chloe didn't seem to be in the mood to talk. The most she offered was a single _yeah_ or _totally_ , refusing to contribute much at all. Max didn't blame her, and most of all didn't want to start another argument, so she left Chloe to her thoughts.

The house they pulled into seemed appropriate, in sorts. It was a fairly normal suburban house whose outside was half beige, and half-painted blue. The chips in the blue paint made it clear that the project had no intention of being finished any time soon.

Chloe parked the truck with just enough room for another car beside it and opened her door to hobble out. Without a word, Max went over and set herself under Chloe's arm to provide support.

“Thanks,” was all Chloe said as they made their way to the door so she could unlock it to let them inside.

They passed through the entrance area, kitchen on the left, door to the garage on the right, and Chloe led the way upstairs. It took them a few minutes to make it up the steps, but with Max holding her up and the sturdy rail to put her weight down on, Chloe managed to reach the top without falling. She was safe, though winded by the effort.

Chloe's room was the first on the right, and inside was a space that was decidedly _Chloe_. Grafitti on the walls, clothes strewn on the ground, and enough posters of half-naked women to make Max blush, if she weren't so focused on getting Chloe to the bed.

The moment they got close, Chloe collapsed down onto the queen-sized mattress, taking up as much space as she could, leaving Max standing and rubbing her shoulder where Chloe had put her weight.

“Is your first aid kit in the bathroom? Please don't tell me its somewhere in this mess.” Max shot Chloe a smile as she said that, trying to cheer them up.

Chloe played along, giving her a smirk back. “Don't worry, it's not hidden in the pantie drawer or anything like that. I wear boxers anyway. There should be one in the bathroom, other side of the hall on the right, under the sink.”

Max simply rolled her eyes at the crude comment and left Chloe in the room stretching her leg out. She went across the hall to the bathroom and found it exactly where she said it would be. It hadn't been used in a while, if the thick layer of dust on it was any indication.

Back in Chloe's room, Max brought the white box in and set it on Chloe's bed as she sat down beside her.

“Alright, Maxi. I think there's some food in the fridge if you want to go down and snack on something while I do this. Shouldn't take but a minute.”

Max gave Chloe a confused look. “We literally just got back from the diner, why would I be hungry? All you need to do is lay back and let me see. My dad taught me how to do this.” She reached over to pull up Chloe's shirt to look at the injury, but Chloe slapped her hand away.

“It's really fine, Max. I can handle this. Your dad isn't the only one that taught you good life skills.”

Chloe reached over to take the kit, but Max held on tight. “Why are you being so weird about this, Chloe? I'm not going to faint just because of some bruises.”

They each tugged on the box a few more times, but Max's superior leverage from her sitting position let her win out. She slid the kit over to where she could easily reach it, but Chloe couldn't grab it without sitting up.

“You're the one being weird,” Chloe said. “I can do this by myself.”

“You don't have to, though. Don't you trust me? I'm not going to hurt you.” They had had that conversation about not keeping anything from each other, and Max thought this applied too.

“I know that. I do trust you Max, but...” Chloe didn't continue the thought. It was exactly how she always did when she knew she didn't like any of her answers in an argument. Max could see the conflict racing on her face and chose to wait for her to decide. She didn't want to pressure Chloe again if it was such a big deal, but she didn't understand why it was.

At last, Chloe let out a sigh. Max saw the tension that had built up in her release away when she did so. Thankfully, she had come to a decision.

“Alright.” Chloe's voice came out as a whisper, devoid of its usual aggression and volume. “Just... try not to freak out, okay?”

Max softly agreed. She reached over and carefully peeled Chloe's shirt up on the left side, where she had indicated the worst of the bruises were. It was worse than Max expected.

Thick yellow-edged marks filled her skin all along her side, most of them clearly at least several days old—much older than they could have been from her fall. A few were newer, black and blue, and sat near her hips, small gashes still releasing the occasional drop of blood.

Those weren't the worst however, as on top of the bruises were dozens of crusted parallel lines scratched into her skin, thin and straight. Most of them were shallow, but a few cut dangerously deep. Chloe hadn't taken care of them at all, that was plain to see.

Max couldn't help but let out a small gasp at the sight, but she didn't say anything. Chloe only stared up at the ceiling, and Max could see her lips shaking and her eyes beginning to water up. The injuries needed to be dealt with, but they could wait for a moment. Max leaned over, careful not to put her weight on Chloe, and embraced her in a deep hug.

Chloe wrapped her arms around in a death grip, and Max could hear soft choking as Chloe tried to keep herself quiet. They stayed like that for several minutes until Chloe finally released her, only managing a shaky _thank you_ and she lay back down.

No more words were spoken between them as Max helped Chloe wriggle out of her jeans to allow her access to the bruises on her legs and get to work.

-~-

By the time that Max said she felt confident she had done all she could, the final rays of sunlight had finally disappeared. Max had illuminated the light on Chloe's ceiling at some point, the only interruption in her work. The entire time, neither of them said a word, but that was fine with Chloe. She didn't know if she could manage to get any words out.

It had taken all the effort she could manage to convince herself to let Max help. Logically, she knew that Max wouldn't be angry or difficult about it, but that voice in her head would not let her think that so easily. It was a miracle she didn't kick Max out of the house to protect herself. Chloe hated that she honestly considered it.

Now, the still-open wounds had been wrapped, the bruises had been covered in some cream that Max had found, and they lay in bed, Max behind Chloe, her arms wrapped around protectively. Max didn't seem like she was going to ask, so Chloe started the conversation instead.

“Are you mad?” Chloe asked. It was a stupid question, but it wouldn't leave her mind.

“Of course not,” Max hummed. “Do you want to talk about it?” she added after a few moments.

“No.” It was the truth, even if it wasn't what Max would want to hear. Chloe knew she wouldn't force her to say anything, though—she wasn't cruel. Not like some people.

Truthfully, at the moment she resented Max, only a little. In the back of her brain, something told her that she shouldn't have done anything, and should have fixed things on her own. It wasn't Max's fault in the slightest, though. But while she was in a sharing mood, there was one thing Max deserved to know.

“There is something I want to say,” Chloe continued. She chewed over her words for the next few seconds, sincerely debating whether to come out and say exactly what she wanted, but she knew this was a terrible time. She decided on the next best thing. “I said no more secrets, and I meant that. There's one more thing I need to tell you, but I want to tell you tomorrow. Before you go to class, so if you get mad at me for it you never have to see me again.” Maybe a little dramatic, but it would get the point across.

“That's okay, Chloe. But I won't ever get mad at you. I get a little frustrated, sometimes, but only because I care about you.”

“Thank you. I care about you too, Max.”

If only she knew.

-~-

_Hey, sweetpea._

A voice spoke, but not from anywhere real. Despite its intangibility, it still had enough strength to snap Chloe out of her restful slumber, to her immediate annoyance. To her surprise, she found herself not in her bed with Max like she expected, but rather in a rusted red car, its interior bare of anything more than a torn up bench seat. Twisted springs dug into Chloe's back, but they brought comfort instead.

_It's been a while, for both of us._

The car itself was not the only one of its kind visible in the world outside. What Chloe sat in was one of many, stacked uncountably high and immeasurably low. Each one was exactly the same on the outside, but their experiences differed, slight and great. Chloe wouldn't know this, of course.

_Not that I'm complaining._

A grumbling engine noise echoed throughout the car, rattling Chloe's body. There was no driver, wheel, or pedal, but she could feel herself begin to accelerate all the same. The nondescript void outside began to shift into a long, winding road bathed in twilight. The soft sound of a shutter clicked from her right, but when she looked, nothing was there.

_You've really done a number on yourself, haven't you?_

The car pulled over onto the side of the road, gliding to a stop on the unstable gravel. Right in front of it, sitting on the shoulder, was a revolving door, its glass frosted. The car refused to move any further, for it did not have a driver, so Chloe exited through the car door. Just like her life, there was nowhere else to go, so she followed the obvious path forward.

_I can't say I approve, but I do understand._

Though the door had no exit, Chloe still found herself in a room, exactly where a door is intended to lead. It was the Price family kitchen, and she could imagine that she could still smell her mom's cooking. Fortunately, imagination is all she needed, and a wondrous aroma of eggs and bacon filled her nostrils.

_It hurts me to see you like this._

In the distance was the dinner table, every chair filled with a body. Each one spoke its line as Chloe remembered them. Even if it wasn't exactly as it happened.

“Wowzer, Mrs. Price. I don't think I'm lying when I say this is the best food I've ever had!”

“Call me Joyce, hun. And if that's the truth then I think that means you'll have to come over more often.”

“Hell yeah! You should stay over every day!”

“Language, Chloe. But yes, we would be happy to let you come by any time you like, so long as your parents know.”

It was soon after Chloe had met Max. They made a perfect team, in her mind. Of course, not every team lasts forever.

_Maybe even as much as it hurts yourself._

Chloe had never let go of the door, so she felt herself pulled along its arc into a new room. Her own room surrounded her, though it still held some joy it brought some years ago, before Rachel. The details on the posters were muddled on the ones that should have been there, and missing on the ones that shouldn't.

A body stood in the center of the room, arm outstretched in a baseball throw. The unfortunate object being launched was her phone, frozen mid-air on its way toward the far wall. On its screen was a single text, no thought or love put into it, empty promises filling the message. Chloe thought several months would be enough to get over this abandonment. It wasn't.

_Truthfully, I don't know which is worse._

Chloe considered letting go, staying in this memory and wishing that she could tell herself that it would all be okay. Unfortunately, time moves only forward— _ha—_ and so did she. She was pulled once again around the circle, but found herself in the same room, changed to a more familiar scene. The graffiti and posters plastered over the wall glared down at her, judging.

Two bodies stood near the bed now, the shorter one leaning in and pressing its lips against the other. Chloe could still feel the flush run through her body, beginning at her face and growing a brighter flame as it traveled lower. All it took was to ask, and she had managed it then, but it seemed unfair to do it now, considering.

“I double dare you. Kiss me n- _mmph_!”

She didn't even get to finish the sentence before Max had been on top of her. It was what she considered their official start. She still thought about that moment, every day.

_The fact that you hated her for leaving, or that you tried to act like you didn't care._

The circle brought her along against her will once again. She suspected what would come next, but it didn't ease the shock of seeing the hospital room again. A body in the bed had its eyes open, exactly the way Chloe hated. It always gave her false hope that they would _see_ anything. They had, eventually, even if the brain inside was broken.

The body in the chair held something in its hand, and Chloe knew exactly what it was. A nurse had left an open box of still-wrapped scalpels sitting outside, and one a whim she had grabbed one. The urge to run things across her skin was nothing new, but the thought of taking that extra step stuck in her mind. She thought it would be over after the first time. She quickly learned otherwise.

_Looks like we're almost there. Time to say goodbye._

The door brought her to one last room, a dorm room. The walls and desk shook with uncertainty, Chloe's knowledge of the place not enough to render them substantial. Still, the place was familiar. Two bodies lay entwined in the bed, both asleep to the eye. Invisible, however, thoughts raced through two minds.

The door had disappeared, its purpose finished. The only exit that remained was the window, a small black object sitting on its sill. Chloe walked over, not caring to be quiet for the unreal bodies, though they still felt.

A soft ringing came from the phone, a tune that sounded exactly like it needed to, even though she could not hear what that tune was. A phone is meant to be answered, so she picked it up and put the speaker to her ear. The voice came through once more, it's owner finally recognizable.

Before she could respond, the ground beneath her shook, giving way, and she fell an infinite distance, the lack of wind deafening her. A searing pain shot through her leg as she hit the ground.

_I'd say see you soon, but we both know you don't want that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every action is reaction.
> 
> Hey everyone. I severely underestimated how hard this first week of classes would hit me, but don't worry. Your trusty update is here. Hopefully, I'll get into the rhythm of things soon.
> 
> Also! Check out my one-shot _Till the Tree Die_. It's super fluffy if you want to wind down with something nice after this chapter.
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Next chapter: 9-14...ish


	12. One More Thing

_"So... how many times have we done this before?" Chloe asked._

_"Done what?"_

_Chloe gestured to their own naked bodies. The sheets and covers had been thrown somewhere across the room, the heat of the house too much to deal with._

_"Like, this. Between the two of us. The double Tango. The horizontal Mamba. Twister, if you've got no imagination."_

_Max laughed. The sound brought a smile to Chloe's lips. "This is the first time, actually. I've never... gotten the chance before."_

_"Don't tell me you haven't used your rewind powers to get some of this fine ass. I wouldn't blame you if you had."_

_"It never seemed fair," Max said, suddenly serious._

_"What is that supposed to mean? Fair to who?"_

_"Anyone." She let the word hang in the air before continuing. "Don't worry. Like I said, come Saturday, I'll explain everything. I don't think there'll be any tornado this time."_

_Max only received a quiet hum in acknowledgment. The lack of explanation was killing Chloe, that much was obvious, but it was the safest way. Anything else was too risky. Even so, she regretted what she had to do to this timeline's Max._

_To get her mind off of everything, she rolled over and set her head on Chloe's stomach, so she could watch out the window. There was a party going on, elsewhere, but she didn't need to go. She contented herself with simply laying there, relaxing and watching the single pale moon in the sky._

-Final Timeline, October 10th

* * *

Max woke to a ray of sunshine piercing through her eyelids. At some point during the night, she and Chloe had apparently broken their embrace, because Max couldn't feel Chloe in her arms anymore, but the mattress still tilted from her weight. Max didn't care to wake up yet and rolled away from the blinding light.

After a few moments, when it became clear that Max's body wouldn't let her fall back asleep, she begrudgingly opened her eyes. Chloe was wide awake, it seemed, sitting up slightly in front of where Max lay. She had her phone out and was holding it up in front of her with the camera on. Chloe was taking a selfie.

Max's position put her below the line of the camera, so she rolled herself as slowly and quietly as she could into the perfect spot behind Chloe, careful not to rock the bed too much. She waited until she saw the image zoom into focus, then made her move.

" _Photobomb!_ " Max yelled as she tossed herself into view.

Her timing was perfect. She heard the replica _click_ of the photo go off exactly when she was where the camera was facing. Her body flopped to the bed to the right behind Chloe's back.

"Never took you for such a photohog," Chloe said. She turned her whole body to face Max and put out her hand to help her up, which Max grabbed. They sat facing each other, less than two feet between them.

"I never took you as one for selfies, either," Max said.

"Touché, Caulfield." Chloe absentmindedly tugged on the hem of her shirt. The edge of a bandage was peeking out, but Max thought it wise not to mention it. That didn't mean she couldn't make sure Chloe was doing okay, however.

To start, Max reached out and took one of Chloe's hands in her own. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself."

"I know a lot happened last night, and I don't want you to have to deal with this yourself. Can we talk about it?" The moment Max said that, Chloe's face dropped. It hurt Max to bring it up, but she knew it would hurt Chloe more if she didn't.

"I'd... really rather not." Chloe's words came out as a quiet whisper, and Max could feel her hand being tightly squeezed. "It's not that I don't trust you. I told you I'd tell you everything I know. But _this—_ " Chloe waved at her own body. " _—_ isn't going to get worse. You've got the real problem here, with Old Max and your memories and everything, and I don't want to take away from that."

Max sighed. This was what Chloe always seemed to do; she acted like she knew what was most important and tried to make anything she did wrong seem like nothing. "That's not how this works, Chloe. You don't get to act like your problems don't exist just because I also have something wrong. I won’t force you to talk about it, but I want you to know that I'm here for you. If you ever feel yourself in a place like that again, I want you to call me, okay?"

"Yeah." Chloe nodded. Her gaze wandered away from Max again, like it always did when she was anxious. "I think I can do that."

She didn't wait for Max to respond before dropping face down onto her bed again, groaning a deep _ughh..._ into the sheets. Max scooted herself over to a more comfortable position, where she could place her hand on Chloe's back and give it a soft rub. It was something her mom always did when Max was uncomfortable. Something about the pressure and closeness always helped her to feel better.

They sat like that for several minutes. Max didn't know what time it was, and at that moment didn't especially care. She would be there for Chloe as long as she needed, no matter what.

Eventually, however, Max heard the creak of a door followed by heavy footsteps walking down the hallway. Chloe immediately tensed up, every muscle in her body pulled tight. Max didn't know who that was, but she had her suspicion and kept rubbing Chloe's back to calm her down.

The footfalls continued, each step seeming to thunder through the house with the lack of any other noise. Chloe's breathing was quick and shallow, and she didn't move an inch. The steps kept moving outside before eventually stopping in front of the door to the room. Neither Max nor Chloe wanted to be the ones to speak, so they stayed as silent as possible.

After several tense moments of silence, a gruff voice spoke through the wooden door. "Chloe. I, uh, know you're in there," the man began. He gave Max the impression of someone who was used to being very loud forcing his tone down to a normal volume. "I just... want to apologize for yesterday. You were being out of line, but what I did was inexcusable. I should have been the better man."

Chloe said nothing. Max could feel her heart beating rapidly through her chest as she lay there, still stiff as a board. It didn't seem like a good idea to say anything if Chloe wasn't going to, especially considering that she had no idea if the man even knew Max was there.

After several moments of no response, the man continued. "Your mother and I are leaving some money on the counter for you. Let us know if you need more. She's had an early start this morning, and I'm about to leave as well. We hope you'll be back for dinner tonight."

The man hovered around the door a little longer, waiting for a response that Chloe wasn't in the mood to give. Soon enough, he left. His footfalls stomped down the steps to the first floor, and not long after Max heard the slam of the front door followed by a car leaving the driveway.

Chloe was still in her state after the man left, so Max started talking, in the hopes that she could help. "So that was your stepdad, I take it? I don't know him very well, but he doesn't seem like the nicest guy."

At that, Chloe let out a sharp _ha_ , still face down on the mattress. "No shit. He sucks. Just trying to give me some cash, as if that'll help."

"He said you two got into a fight yesterday. Is he the one that hurt you?"

Chloe rolled over on to her back, looking up at Max. Her eyes were slightly red, but she hadn't quite been crying. "The day before. Fucking jackass can't even remember the says he hits me. All because he was in the army, he thinks he can treat me like one of his little green soldiers. Newsflash, David—in the real world, that's just called abuse."

"Oh." Max didn't know what to say. What _do_ you say to that? Do you try to help, or just provide a shoulder to cry on? She'd done the second, so she tried the first. "Have you tried telling Joyce? Because that's not okay."

"Yeah, but she doesn't care. It's always my fault for 'antagonizing him'. It's a good thing he didn't come in, he'd probably flip his shit if he saw you."

"Me? Why would he care about me? I haven't done anything to him," Max said.

"Because he's got it in his mind that you're some kinda bad influence. But at least he's keeping his distance if you haven't run into him at Blackhell yet. Consider that a victory."

Chloe gave her eyes a quick wipe and rolled herself of the foot of bed, standing up. She began to stretch as she walked over to the closet.

"Well, enough of that jarhead, we gotta get you ready for school. You don't have class for a little over an hour, so we got time. You want the first shower, or me?." She turned her head back and waggled her eyebrows. "Unless you feel the need to conserve water, you hippie."

Max saw that she was making a joke, but she didn't quite get it. It was too early in the morning to make sense of something like that, so she moved past it. "I'm going to enjoy this bed of yours while I can. It's so much comfier than the ones on campus. You can go first."

"Alright, lazybones." Chloe opened the closet and began to scrounge around for some clean clothes. She eventually came up with a t-shirt and pair of jeans that were comfortable and didn't have too many visible stains.

With the clothes thrown over her shoulder, she turned back to Max before she left. "Feel free to take whatever you feel like from in there. Not sure anything I have will fit, but y-"

The entire world seemed to hitch and freeze in black and white for a moment. It was barely visible, and Max only noticed it because she was watching Chloe intently, but it was there. Then without warning, Chloe disappeared.

"-ower so we ca- _whatthefuck_?" She continued speaking, but her voice came from behind Max instead, rather than in front of the door where she was moments ago. "Did you just rewind on me?"

"Uh..." Max turned to Chloe, confused. She definitely _had not_ used her power, but that strange hiccup in the world seemed similar to what her rewind caused. "No, I didn't. Did you see that too?"

"See what, Max? I was talking to you and suddenly you're all the way back on the bed. I've seen you rewind enough to recognize it. Kinda hard to hide it when you teleport across the room."

Teleport? Max didn't go anywhere. In fact, she had yet to get up from the bed this morning. "I swear I didn't rewind at all. I wouldn't do that to you."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Don't say something like that. I'm sure you've been rewinding me whenever you don't like the way things go. Old Max thought I didn't notice, but I did. She was way better at it, though."

"No, Chloe." Max hopped across the bed so she could hang her legs off the edge near where Chloe stood. "The only times I've taken things back were when you threw that glove of water at me and when you broke your leg in the junkyard. And when I went back through the photo, but that was an accident."

"Wow, that’s… unexpected. I know if I had super cool time powers I'd rewind any time things don't go my way."

Max shrugged. "I thought about it, but it never seemed right to do that to someone."

Chloe sat back down on the bed next to Max, and it was then that she realized that Chloe had changed. She was no longer in her old tank top she wore yesterday, but rather in the t-shirt she had grabbed out of the closet.

"So if you didn't rewind," Chloe said. "What did it look like on your end?"

"You were just about to go take a shower, then suddenly you were over here. It happened so fast, and I don't know why."

"Wait... before I took a shower? Max, that was like twenty minutes ago. You lost that much time? That's insane."

"What?" Max reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Judging by what Chloe said earlier, it had in fact been a good twenty minutes. If she took her shower now, she would have barely enough time to grab her bags from her dorm before making it to class. " _Shit!_ I need to hurry, so I'm not late. It won't look good if I'm late on my third day. We can talk in the truck, okay?"

Max hopped up and started for the door, but Chloe stopped her and pointed over to a neat stack of clothes folded on the bed. They hadn't been there before the skip. Max tossed them over her shoulder and made her way to the bathroom. They looked a little small for Chloe, but they would fit her well enough for one day. Worst-case, she could change during lunch.

Truthfully, Max was glad that she was running low on time. She didn't especially want to talk about the missing time. It was happening more and more frequently, and she was sure that time had been the longest one, but it wasn't a problem right now. At least now they knew that it was probably related to her powers, and not entirely her brain refusing to work right.

The warm water soothed her thoughts and washed the stress of the morning away. Everything was fine, she lied to herself. It wasn't a problem.

-~-

Out of the shower, dried off and dressed, Max made her way downstairs to find Chloe sitting on the kitchen counter with a cup of hot coffee in her hand. Next to her was a wad of bills wrapped in a rubber band.

"Hey, Maxi." Chloe hopped down and swiped the money into her pocket. "You ready to go? If we leave now we should get there with plenty of time to spare. Or we could chill out some more if you don't care to go to class."

"It's my third day back. I don't think Principal Wells would appreciate it if I started things off by skipping. No matter how much I'd rather hang out with you."

Chloe threw her arm around Max. "You truly know how to make a girl feel special. Let's get out of here then."

Max let herself be led outside to the truck. Though it still instilled a fear of tetanus every time Max rode in it, it was becoming comforting, if only because it was so _Chloe_. She couldn't imagine her in anything that resembled a proper vehicle.

It was about twenty minutes to Blackwell, and the time seemed to fly by. Max always enjoyed the moments when she and Chloe could talk about anything at all, and nothing else mattered. She tried to keep the conversation away from everything that had happened that morning, and focused on their lives in general.

Unfortunately, their ride ended sooner than Max would have liked. Though, as Blackwell rose into view through the packed street of everyone trying to park their car, she realized that Chloe had forgotten something.

"Hey, Chloe, one more thing. I don't mean to bring this up at a bad time, but you said you had something to tell me that you knew? You were acting very strange about it."

"Oh." Chloe chewed on her lip as she drove them into the parking lot. "Yeah, I guess I did tell you I had something to say. Are you sure you really want to hear it?"

Max nodded. "No more secrets, remember? I want to know, even if you think I can't handle it."

"No, it's not like that. It's just..." Chloe pulled them into a parking spot, not taking up as many as she could, which was unlike her. The truck was still on, idling as Max waited for Chloe to finish. "God, I can't even say it. I know you're going to hate me for it."

"Chloe," Max said, her voice soft. "I won’t hate you, no matter what it is. But I want to know."

"Yeah... yeah." Chloe took in several deep breaths and tried to paste a smile on her face. It wasn't very convincing. "So, you know we spent most of that week together, right? We ran into each other, and it was the two of us, barely apart for long."

She paused to think, and Max nodded at her to keep going.

"Well, basically." Chloe's face was flushed, and she refused to look anywhere in Max's direction. She paused for several moments before saying the rest of her words in a single breath. "I dared you to kiss me and we kind of started dating and we spent the night together but then you were in the hospital and woke up and I'm sorry I didn't tell you before but _I think I might actually still love you_."

Neither of them said anything. Chloe had closed her eyes mid-way through her confession, and slowly peeked through when she didn't receive a response. Max's face was frozen in an emotion that Chloe couldn't understand. It might have been confusion, but it just as easily could have been worry.

Before Chloe could say anything to salvage the situation, Max opened the door and bolted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Oops..._  
>    
> Short chapter today, because it's been a long week and this is a good place to stop.  
> What will come of this? Who knows. (I do)
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Next Chapter: 9-22


	13. The L Word/Skip

_"Ugh..." Rachel collapsed face down onto the couch. She landed on some loose papers and wiggled about until they fell to the ground of the shack. "Get me out of here."_

_"That bad, babe?" Chloe asked. Rachel had been more and more worn out the past few days, and she refused to say why. It didn't matter to Chloe, but she tried to help however she could._

_"All I'm trying to do is to make a name for myself," Rachel rolled over, so she could speak clearly without her face in the old cushion, "but it seems everyone only wants to watch me fail."_

_"You know I'm rooting for you, right? Once we get through this, it'll be the two of us with all the world to shoot for."_

_"I know," Rachel sighed. "But today it all feels so far away. I thought I had something good going on. A real chance."_

_She sat up, reached in her pocket, and tossed Chloe a small bag of weed before continuing. "I need to unwind. Feel free to smoke whatever you want."_

_"You don't want any?" Chloe was willing to smoke alone, but it was unusual when it was the two of them._

_"I've got my own." Rachel pulled out another bag, this one containing capsules filled with a white crystalline powder. She scooped out two, gave them a quick look, then popped them into her mouth, swallowing them dry._

_"You know I don't like it when you use that stuff."_

_"And you know I like it when I do," Rachel snapped. After a moment, she continued, her apology soft. "Sorry, it's just been an unbelievably shitty day. It'll only be this once, I promise."_

_Chloe said nothing. It was a lie, and they both knew it, but another argument wouldn't help matters, not today. Better to focus on the future, on an escape from Arcadia Bay. Then they would finally be happy together once again._

-Final Timeline, April 22nd

* * *

Through the streets past the outskirts of Arcadia Bay, a worn-out old truck raced past low buildings and tall maple forests. Its driver had no particular destination, and should not have been driving in the state she was in, but all she needed was to get away, somewhere to breathe. Her poor decision still choked her.

Outside the town's borders were long empty stretches where she could speed as fast as her truck would take her. Not fast enough, in her mind, but quickly enough that she would be in trouble if a state trooper caught her. At the moment, though, she didn't care— _just like Max_.

Eventually, the freedom of the open road cleared Chloe's head. She could barely afford gas as it was and wasting it driving aimlessly through the Oregon countryside wasn't a good use of what little funds she had. The money stepdouche had left her would help, but even remembering where it came from sent a chill through her.

She pulled over on a dirt cutoff, guessing from the signage that she was several dozen miles away from the town. Not nearly far enough, but it would have to do for now. She hoped her mind would settle while parked instead.

Chloe hopped out and clamored to the back of her truck to sit in the fresh air. The sun was directly over the road, bathing the surrounding area in a bright light that reflected off every piece of metal and directly into her eyes, so it seemed. The leaves and branches of the trees nearby cast short, pointed shadows leading into the forest. It looked somewhat inviting, but the last thing Chloe needed was to lose her sense of direction and starve to death all alone.

_C'mon. Happy thoughts, Chloe_

She settled down in the back of the rusted pickup to relax, trying to enjoy the lack of any other people. It was louder than Chloe expected. Cicadas sang and birds chirped all around her, and when she really tried to listen, she realized how incredible the sheer number of sounds was.

A certain _briiing, briiing_ that floated through, however, didn't seem like something to find in a forest. It was when she felt a buzzing in her pocket, dampened by the loose paper she had stuffed in there, that she realized the noise wasn't from some animal trying to get laid, but instead her phone trying to get her attention.

She pulled it out and saw what she dreaded: a picture of Max, confident smirk on her face, staring back at her. Chloe had taken it the day they reconnected and knew it would be perfect for a contact picture, if only because of the way it always sent a flush through Chloe when she saw it. Now, however, all it filled her with was grief.

Chloe couldn't deal with this right now. She declined the call and stuck the phone back into her pocket. Almost immediately, it began ringing again. This time, through her jeans, she hit the button to ignore the call, letting it ring silently before going to voicemail.

Around half a minute passed, and right as Chloe was beginning to believe that she would leave her alone, it rang again. She silently debated herself on whether to answer. The right option was to talk to her, of course, but after something like that, what was she supposed to say? On the other hand, leaving her with no response would be cruel.

In desperation, and the hopes that maybe she could salvage their friendship if nothing else, Chloe answered the call, put the phone to her ear, and immediately leaped into her apology.

"Look, Max, I want to say I'm sorry for all that junk I said I really shouldn't have thrown that on you after all that's happ-"

"Whoa, whoa, Chloe. Slow down," a voice interrupted. It was a girl's voice, but it wasn't Max. "You and Max are talking again? It sounds like there's a lot I'm missing here."

"Oh. Hey, Steph." The disappointment was evident in her voice. It was nice to talk to Steph, though, so she tried to push it away. "Sorry about that. Today has been fuckin' miserable."

"Tell me about it. And in case you've forgotten, I'm heading out in a couple of days. I'd really love to see you again if you have the time. I've got some things I need to tell you."

Chloe had completely forgotten she was in town for... something. They had texted the day before; her asking if Chloe had time to hang, but with Max's photo jump and injury from climbing around in the junkyard, it had slipped her mind.

"Yeah, yeah. I can totally do that. Wouldn't want to blow you off twice, y'know?"

Chloe heard the smile through the phone. "Thanks, Chloe. How about the skate park, in an hour or so? I'd invite you to come over, but my aunt doesn't like strangers. I'd rather we meet up there than have to watch you get chased out by an old lady with a wooden ladle."

"Skate park. Hour. Got it. I'll see you then," Chloe said, then ended the call. Looks like there wouldn't be any rest today— _not that you deserve it—_ but talking with Steph might get her mind off of everything. Unless she forced her to talk about it, which wouldn't be surprising.

Either way, if she didn't want to be late to their meeting, Chloe needed to leave then. No need to speed with reckless abandon, but she couldn't afford to dally either. She climbed out of the bed of her truck then walked to the door to slide into the driver's seat. With a turn of a key, the engine rumbled to life and she rolled off, back toward Arcadia Bay.

-~-

The town's skate park was larger than it had any business being. Several years ago, the mayor of Arcadia Bay had someone convinced the right people to build a place for people to skate right in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, and within about a year was built and ready to ride. Chloe didn't know any specifics, but still enjoyed the place all the same.

It was the middle of a Wednesday, so there weren't many skaters. There were only a couple of people, whom Chloe didn't recognize, but they looked like high schoolers who couldn't be bothered to go to class. She could relate— _you lazy ass_.

Sitting at one of the benches nearby was a girl Chloe hadn't seen in several years. Steph still wore her signature beanie—a red one today—and casual, comfortable clothes. It was comforting to know her style hadn't changed.

Walking up, Chloe wished she still had her skateboard. After her last one went out of commission, she hadn't often been to the skate park. Another loss when everything started going wrong.

"Hey, Chloe," Steph began when she saw her walk up. No comment on Chloe's gait, which meant she was hiding her injury well enough. Max's handiwork helped immensely. "It's great to see you again."

Steph stood and immediately went in for a hug, and Chloe returned it with one arm. She wasn't really in the mood for physical contact, but it would be rude if she didn't.

"Hey, yourself. How's it hanging being back in the Bay?"

Steph laughed. "Not as exciting as I expected, which is saying something. It's definitely no L.A., for sure."

"I doubt anything compares. Must be nice out down there." Chloe took a seat on the bench beside Steph. "I've always wanted to go."

"Yeah. I know." Steph had a thoughtful look on her face, like she wanted to say something else. Chloe lightly tapped their knees together, silently telling her to continue.

"That's... actually a little why I wanted to talk to you in person. The plan was to tell you yesterday, but you were busy. Just as a warning, you might not like what you hear"

Chloe sighed. "Go ahead and tell me. I don't have the energy to be upset at whatever it'll end up being."

"Alright." Steph slid herself closer and set her hand down on Chloe's arm. It wasn't until she did so that Chloe realized she had been absentmindedly scratching at her wrist. She stopped, embarrassed. "So, long story short, I found Rachel."

"Wait, what?" After Rachel had skipped town and blocked everyone, Chloe thought that was the last she would ever hear of her. "You _found Rachel_?"

Steph nodded. "I saw her on the dance floor at a club I was checking out. You know that's not really my scene, so I went with some friends. She called herself Jess, but it was her, Chloe. I swear."

"You talked to her? What did she say?"

"That's the thing." Steph chewed on her lip. "She tried to hit on me. She didn't recognize me at all. I tried to play along to get her to talk, but she was completely out of it. It was too much. It hurt to see her like that."

"Let me guess," Chloe snarled. "She's been moving up the ladder of drugs, exactly as I told her she was going to do. Actually, you know what? I don't care. She bailed on me, and I'm through with her."

"You don't really mean that."

"Yeah, I do." Chloe was ready to go off, saying every reason she could think of as to why Rachel Amber was a blight upon the earth, but she found that she was unable. That white-hot rage that flared up when Steph said her name was doused.

She couldn't do it. Chloe leaned back all the way on the bench, linking her hands behind her head, and stared into the sky. Even looking at Steph was more than she could stand at the moment.

"You alright, Chloe?" Steph prodded.

A whining noise escaped Chloe's lips before she spoke. "I don't know. Like what the fuck am I even supposed to do about it? It's not like I can buy a ticket and fly down to give her a piece of my mind. I'm completely broke."

"Well..." Steph began. "I'm driving down once I'm done at my aunt's. I could give you a ride and help you find your way back. My place has plenty of room to stay, too."

The unexpectedness of the offer and its extent stunned Chloe. She leaned forward again to look at Steph as she talked. "You're serious? All that for me, so I can talk to Rachel?"

"I think you need closure. Her leaving like that was hard on you, and you shouldn't keep hating her without getting an explanation. You're my friend, Chloe. I can do this for you."

The offer was tempting. Being able to go to LA to find Rachel had honestly been a serious thought of Chloe's. However, faced with the actual chance to speak her mind to the girl who broke her heart, she didn't know if she could do it. Or if she even seriously wanted to.

"I'll... need to think about it. It's so nice of you to do this for me, but I still don't know if it's a good idea. Can I get back to you on that?"

"Of course." Steph gave Chloe's arm a soft pat. "But I'm leaving Friday afternoon, so I'll need to know before then."

"I can do that." The deadline would help. It would prevent her from spending too long overthinking and changing her mind. Worst-case scenario, she didn't tell Steph anything and never had to worry about Rachel ever again. "I'll figure it out. One way or the other."

Chloe had lapsed back into her blind scratching. She bounced her leg up and down rhythmically, trying to bleed off the excess energy she had gained during the conversation. She kept at it until she received another firm grip from Steph, silently trying to calm her down.

"You've got something on your mind, that much is clear," Steph said. "Is it about Max? If you two are talking again, that's great news."

Chloe hummed in response, lips tight. "We might not be anymore. I royally fucked things up. It's kind of a long story."

"I've got time. Tell me what happened."

Steph was too good of a friend. Better than Chloe deserved, especially considering they hadn't seen each other in several years. Sure, they kept in touch via text, exchanging stories every couple of months or so, but it wasn't the same as having someone sitting right next to you, wanting to listen. It was the sort of thing Chloe reserved for her best friends, like Rachel and Max. But when they were the problem, who else was she supposed to turn to?

For the past several weeks since Max's collapse, Chloe had taken each day as it came, not worrying about what had happened before or what would come next. She had never sat to think about everything as a whole. It was a long shot, but maybe Steph would have some valuable insight.

She didn't believe it likely, considering there were important things she couldn't say, but if Steph was willing to listen, it was worth a try. With a quick throat clear, she thought of how to begin.

"Alright. I guess it all started when Max and I met up again after five years of radio silence. I was pissed at her, of course, but she was nothing like I remembered..."

-~-

Max screwed up. She wasn't sure why she ran like that, but it was the only thing she could manage at the moment. Chloe was in _love_ with her? There had to be some mistake. She wasn't the kind of person people loved.

This wasn't something she could deal with on her own. She needed some help, someone to listen. _Kate_.

It was almost time for class, and Kate wouldn't have seen that Max didn't stay the night in the dorms. There wasn't time to make it all the way to her room, so while she ran to the main building, she pulled out her phone. There were other students also walking around, and out of the corner of her eye, Max saw them slightly 'skip' forward, moving without taking steps.

 **_Max_ ** _: Kate I really need to talk to you before class this is not a drill I repeat this is not a drill._

The instant she pressed send, her phone buzzed with a response.

 **_Kate_ ** _: Are you ok max?? I'll be waiting outside the science lab._

That would do for now. It was a goal she to focus on, so she didn't become overwhelmed in her own thoughts again. Get to the science lab, that was all that mattered.

Making her way out of the parking lot was simple, but once she managed to reach the front lawn surrounding the fountain, she was struck by a wave of people, all heading the same direction. Everyone else had their own classes to get to, so the stairs leading up to the double doors were packed with students.

Max kept her head down, sliding into the crash of students around her. She focused intently on trying to get to Kate, but every time she blinked, each student in the hallway jumped forward. It was like an odd slideshow the way they changed places without warning.

"Excuse m--"

"--ey, watch it!"

Multiple separate voices grunted at Max as she collided and smacked them when she walked. With all the people jumping around unpredictably, it was impossible not to hit someone.

_Got to get to Kate. She can help me calm down._

Normally that would be Chloe's job, but that wasn't an option at the moment. Max obviously couldn't tell Kate about her powers acting up; She wouldn't understand and Max didn't want to explain. However, she hoped that once she had some time to relax, it would fix itself.

That didn't matter for now. Her powers were getting worse, and she knew she couldn't ignore it forever, but what was she supposed to do? As far as she knew, there had never been anyone in history with a power like herself. That line of thinking didn't help her mood.

Finally, she spotted Kate standing outside Ms. Grant's science lab, her hands clasped together in front of her. It was Max's first class this morning, one that they shared, and the bell hadn't rung yet. She wasn't late.

"Max, there you are! Are you alright?" Kate called the moment she saw Max.

Kate began making her way over down the hallway, but before she could get close enough to Max to speak without yelling, everything skipped again.

Without warning, Kate changed from anxiously walking towards Max, to facing the opposite way, heading back toward the science classroom. She must have had her weight leaning on Max, who from her point of view was suddenly several feet the other way, because she immediately stumbled. Her hands shot out, trying to catch herself, but she wasn't fast enough.

With a soft _oof_ , Kate landed on her hands and knees, drawing the attention of several students walking by. Max rushed to help her as her head swung up in confusion, looking around. As Max arrived, reaching down to offer a hand, there was a significant hesitation before she accepted the help.

"Max... what was that? How did you get all the way back there so quickly?"

 _Shit_. Maybe she could play this off. "I'm so, so sorry, Kate. I didn't mean to let you fall like that. Are you hurt? Do you need to see the nurse? I can take you."

Kate's face was drawn into a tight frown. "You were right there beside me, and then you weren't. I'm fine, but what happened to you?"

She wasn't going to drop it. Max didn't have a reasonable explanation, especially considering she didn't know exactly what had happened. There was only one way to salvage it, and though Max hated the idea, it would solve the problem easily.

Kate was still staring at her, waiting for a response she wouldn't receive. Without delay, Max raised her hand and began rewinding, trying to land right before the skip, so everything would seem normal. Realizing that she was too close to the door, she walked back down the hall, so she didn't run into another teleport accident when she let go.

Moving during a rewind was easier than Max imagined. She expected it to be similar to wading through a pool of water, or possibly thick syrup if it was difficult. Fortunately, walking while using her power wasn't any more challenging than normal, something she greatly appreciated.

She kept the rewind slow as she walked back and sped it up when she planted herself fairly close to where she thought she began. If she's off by a bit, hopefully Kate will think it's only a trick of the light. Position set, she watched the world move backward.

The scene reversed as she expected, but Max was most interested in what her skip looked like. She saw Kate on the ground then fall back on to her feet in reverse. The instant the skip had happened, a copy of Max appeared beside her, being led to the classroom. It looked exactly like Max always did during her rewinds, which meant that the events happened, even if she didn't remember them.

She had already determined that her skips and lost moments were caused by her power, but it made little sense. If she was unconsciously rewinding, why wouldn't she remember? There was one other possibility, that she was accidentally fast-forwarding instead. It made some sense, as returning from a photo jump was a type of traveling forward, and during the return trip there was another version of her. Was this the same sort of thing, only on a smaller scale?

The question stuck in her mind, and the more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed to be. The only problem was, Chloe said that her only two powers were rewinding and photo jumping, and had sworn that there wasn't anything else. It was possible she was wrong, but she would know best, right?

It was something they could figure out together, once— _right._ The problem with Kate and her rewind had managed to take her mind off of Chloe, but the memory of her poor reaction struck her once again.

Max realized she had been holding the rewind still while she was thinking. A dull ache began to grow in the back of her skull, reminding her not to hold it too long. Everything looked fine in the hall, and Kate wasn't looking directly at her, so she dropped the rewind.

"Max, there you are! Are you alright?" Kate said in the same tone as before. She began walking over, but this time Max went to meet her halfway.

"Yeah, Kate. I think I am. I didn't mean to scare you."

"That's perfectly fine. I want to make sure that you're okay, most of all. Is there something you need to talk to me about?"

There was, but it was no longer the pressing urgency it had been. The possibility of a new power excited her, and she knew that nothing was going to change with Chloe until they talked. It could wait.

"I'll tell you during lunch. Let's get to class," Max said, leading them into the room.

Ms. Grant's lecture was as dense as it was the day before, but Max barely noticed. She had an itch in her hand, and far more important things on her mind.

-~-

"Damn, Chloe. You really said the _L_ word?"

Chloe threw her hands up. "She wanted the truth and I gave it to her! I love her and honestly, I think I always have."

Her explanation had taken awhile; however, neither of them had anywhere to be, so she didn't shy away from the questions. There were some things she couldn't mention, such as the existence of Max's time powers and the photo jump that lost them a whole day, but for the most part, she told Steph everything that had happened. Starting with the day they reconnected, her story continued until Chloe's poor confession.

"You frightened that poor girl. Of course she's going to run away like that. That's not one of those things you drop on a friend like that."

"I wasn't going to not tell her again. If I pushed it off she would've killed me for not telling her everything."

Steph sighed. "You could have done it better in pretty much any other way. I'm just glad you were parked before you said anything. If she got hurt from jumping out of a moving car, it would be on you."

"Nice to know it's all my fault." Chloe crossed her arms and leaned back. "Honestly, it's a little on her for not at least hearing me out or waiting for me to explain."

She let out a yelp as Steph smacked her in the arm. The hit had plenty of strength in it, enough to sting.

"What the fuck, Steph!?"

"What the fuck, yourself. Don't blame Max for this. Think about it, she's known you for what—three weeks from her point of view? You should have told her you two had dated like the day she woke up."

"There was a lot going on, okay?" Chloe said defensively. "And it seemed unfair to tell her something as big as that so soon."

"Really? And so your decision was to tell her you were in love with her, with absolutely no warning?"

Chloe threw her hands up. The more she defended herself, the more she realized that she _might_ have been in the wrong in this situation. "Honestly, I hoped her memories would return, and it wouldn't be a problem. But so far, she's gotten nothing back. I was in a bind, okay?"

"I understand that, but you need to fix this. I can't tell you how she feels, considering the way she acted, but I can tell you it will only get worse if you don't talk to her. If she calls you, you need to answer."

"Well..." Chloe began. "I got a call from her twice this morning, right before you did. I sent her to voicemail." She threw her hands up to protect herself as Steph swung her palm to smack her on the shoulder again. "I know! Bad Chloe, I got it!"

Steph drew her face into a deep frown. "As long as you understand that." She softened as she continued. "I'm not trying to be mean, I just want to get this through your thick skull. You haven't ruined anything; you have to talk to her, but only when she's ready. Not before."

"Yeah. I know." She said nothing else. Steph's advice came far more... aggressive than Chloe anticipated, but it was valid help. Sometimes, a good hard smack was exactly what she needed.

The thought sent a dull pulse of pain through her side. Of course, that only applied when it came from a friend who wanted the best for her. Steph definitely counted in that, and though Chloe might not agree with every point she made, her solution was sound.

_Talk to Max. It'll be easy, and maybe after everything, we'll still be friends._

In moments like these, Chloe wished she was better at lying to herself.

-~-

"You should call her. I think she would appreciate it," Kate said.

"Yeah, Maximo. Tell her how you feel. I'm sure she'll understand." Warren had decent advice, but it seemed he didn't quite get the problem. Max wasn't sure how she felt, at all. Chloe was wonderful, but Max never thought of herself as someone who liked girls. Not that she had anything against the idea.

"I don't know, guys," Max said. "What if she's super angry at me for running?"

"Max," Brooke began. It was her first comment since Max had explained the situation to the three of them. "Trust me, talk to her. Call her right now, and if that doesn't work, go see her after school today. Waiting for an answer will only make you feel worse."

"I guess..." Max pulled out her phone and stared at it. It would be simple to call, but even that seemed daunting.

After a minute of silent thought, she finally resolved herself to apologize. It's what she would want, had the situation been reversed. In front of her friends, she hit the button to call Chloe.

The phone rang, sending a shiver of anxiety down her spine, which was immediately multiplied when she got sent to voicemail after the second ring. Chloe had chosen not to answer.

She lowered the phone from her ear, and her expression was enough for her friends to guess what had happened. Kate sidled up next to her and wrapped her arms around Max in a soft hug. She smelled of strawberries today.

"I'm sure she's busy, Max. It's nothing you did." Kate's platitude was kind, but she was an optimist, and her words had no weight. "I think Brooke had the right idea. You should go see her today. We have our study date tomorrow, and you can tell me all about it then. Or you could always text me if you would rather."

Brooke and Warren nodded in agreement. Max didn't say anything, but she thought about how to best fix this. Maybe directly was the best approach, though the lingering doubt dampened that idea.

She had a few hours. Plenty of time to come up with a plan.

-~-

Chloe and Steph spent the next few hours chatting, catching up on all the things in their lives the other had missed. Steph told her all about how she was already taking a graduate-level course for her major, a fact that astounded Chloe. Programming was difficult, she knew, but when Steph began explaining some things she was working on, her eyes glazed over, not even attempting to understand.

It was nice to have some time to talk together again in person, because Chloe felt that so much was lost over text, especially when all your conversations were less than six messages every couple of months. They vowed to call each other more often, and the effort Steph made reminded Chloe why they were such good friends.

As a parting question, Steph asked once again if Chloe was willing to drive down with her, but she didn't commit. It was too much to think about right now, and it seemed cowardly to run away when she had problems to deal with here in Arcadia. The option was still open, but she would have to consider it when she was in a better place.

By the time they finished, it was growing late, and Chloe was getting hungry. The option of grabbing fast food and sleeping in her car again crossed her mind, but even with the money David had left her, she was on her way to becoming dead broke. He had asked her to stay for dinner, and Chloe hated that she was honestly considering it. Her only relief was that Joyce would be there too, so David would _mostly_ behave himself.

With all the gas she had spent this morning, she couldn't afford to spend any more money. There was always the option of skipping food until tomorrow, but her growling stomach didn't like that idea. Decision made, she slid into her truck and made her way back home.

When she finally arrived, still furious at some compact for cutting her off several blocks before, she was relieved to see that David's truck wasn't there. That meant she would have the house to herself, or at worst, only Joyce would be there. She wasn't sure how late her mother worked today.

She parked her truck as far over to the side as she could, knowing that if she blocked the driveway David would not refrain from having a go at her, and the last thing she needed was to set him off over something as dumb as that.

She got out and made her way to the front door. It was unlocked, and she had locked it when she and Max had left that morning, which meant that Joyce was there. Chloe opened it and walked in, calling out inside.

"Hey Joy- _mom_. Mom. What are you making tonight? I'm starving."

"Well, since we have a guest, I made enchiladas. I know you love those, so don't try to get out of eating with us again."

 _A guest_? There was only one person it was likely to be, and Chloe wasn't ready for her. She rounded the corner into the kitchen and saw Max sitting at the dining table, phone out flat in front of her.

"I told you she'd be back soon," Joyce said to Max. "But as I was saying, I'm glad you're up and about again, because I'll be happy to remind you why Chloe calls me the world's best cook."

Chloe stood stunned at the edge of the kitchen, not sure what to say. All Max offered was a cautious wave of her hand, worried smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could go for some enchiladas.
> 
> Thanks everyone for all your comments! I love reading them and always appreciate your theories and thoughts.
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Next Chapter: 9-29


	14. Someone Old/Something New

_"I double dare you. Kiss me n- mmph!"_

_Chloe's words were interrupted by Max's lips on hers. She quickly pulled away, shocked, while Max looked at her with a confident smirk._

_"I'm pretty hardcore, huh?"_

_"You..." Chloe's face became flushed with a deep red. "You could say that. Guess I can tell all those boys they don't stand a chance."_

_"Boys? What boys?" Max hadn't pulled away; she was still intimately close._

_"Uh. I mean, I'm sure you've got boys falling over themselves for you. You're like really smart, and funny, and stuff..."_

_"You don't need to worry about that. There's only one person who's caught my eye, and she certainly isn't a boy."_

_"Yeah?" Chloe squeaked. Her heart was practically thumping out of her chest._

_"Yeah. She's handsome, smart, and always speaks her mind." Max leaned in further with every word until they were only inches apart. "But most of all, I have a feeling she really likes me back. Don't you agree?"_

_Max went in for another kiss and this time, Chloe didn't pull away._

-Final Timeline, October 9th

* * *

"I'm so glad you decided to join us tonight, Chloe. David and I haven't gotten to see you around here so much."

Joyce finally decided to start a conversation, much to Chloe's chagrin. Things had been going so well, the four of them eating in silence. She had thought that David might make some snide comment or something of the sort when he arrived not long after she did, but thankfully he contented himself with a gruff _Hello_ before making his plate. He shot Max a cross glare when he saw her, but said nothing more.

Chloe had taken her seat next to Max and was trying her hardest not to stare at her too much. She had no idea what her showing up like this meant, but hopefully, it wasn't a bad sign. If Max was truly angry, she would've stayed away, right?

 _It's moments like these that I wish I had a power too. Telepathy would be so awesome right now_.

Fortunately, their dinner had been in almost complete so far silence, but then Joyce had to ruin it with her thinly-veiled attack. Instead of immediately responding, she speared a piece of her enchilada onto her fork and stuffed into her mouth, chewing as slowly as possible.

She could see Max had a worried look on her face, while Joyce and David simply patiently waited for her to finish. Eventually, she couldn't stall any longer—her food was complete mush in her mouth—and she was forced to swallow. She considered going for another bite, in a show of rebellion but figured that the sooner she answered, the sooner she could get away from this awkward-as-fuck dinner.

"Yeah. I've had stuff to do."

"Well, I want you to know that it's nice to see you. We haven't had dinner together as a family in quite a while."

"I'm well aware," Chloe scoffed. She was already sick of this conversation.

"And I'm thankful that Max was able to come by as well." She turned toward Max now. "When David told me about your situation, I couldn't believe it. I hope everything is working out well so far."

At the mention of her name, Max snapped out of her daze over to Joyce. She had been staring at the ceiling, distracted by something or possibly zoned out again. It was happening more and more often now, but she still refused to believe it was a problem. At least this morning they learned her powers might have something to do with it. Chloe didn't know whether that was a good thing.

"Oh, yes," Max said. "I'm glad I have Chloe here to help out. I don't know what I would do without her."

_Bold words from someone who abandoned me._

The instant the thought crossed through her mind she hated herself for it. It wasn't Max's fault she ran off, either that morning or all those years ago. This Max—she was beginning to hate that term, even though she was the one who made the distinction in the first place—didn't even know why she spent five years apart with barely a peep. It was unfair to blame her.

"Uh, yeah. You know me. A real hero for the hipsters."

Max giggled at that. She _giggled_. That had to mean... something, right?

David looked like he wanted to say something, but after a quick glare from Joyce that Chloe spied, he stopped and continued eating. _Thank fuck._

Thankfully, nobody started any new conversation, allowing Chloe to rush through her food as quickly as possible. She noticed, however, that David kept shooting glances at Max. She couldn't tell what he was thinking in that pig brain of his, but it couldn't have been anything good.

Chloe finally cleared her plate and denied Joyce's offer of seconds. She _was_ starving, but it wasn't worth staying here any longer. Standing up from her seat, she grabbed her plate to place in the sink, only to be stopped by a call from David.

"Chloe. I need to talk to you. Now. It's important."

 _Shit._ Everything was always 'important' with him. There wasn't any doubt that it would be some heartless _sorry you're a bad daughter_ or _you shouldn't be friends with Max_ again, and she did not want to deal with that.

She thought of a way to rebuff him without causing a scene, but fortunately, Max was cut in with the assist, walking up behind her.

"I'm sorry Mr. Madsen, but Chloe and I really have stuff to work on tonight. She said she was going to help me with my homework, and I don't want to keep her up too late."

It was a poor excuse, but a better one than Chloe would have come up with. Apparently she gave him exactly the right amount of charm, because after several tense moments of him glaring at Max, and Chloe silently begging him not to push it, he returned to his food. His only response was a gruff _grunt_ that carried through to the kitchen.

Another mental prayer answered, Chloe dropped her plate in the sink and jogged up the stairs, followed close behind by Max.

She threw open her bedroom door and immediately launched herself onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, not trusting herself to look directly at Max, though with the room bathed in darkness she wouldn't be able to see much. The door shut soon after with a barely-audible _click_ , followed by the lights snapping on.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Max hover near the doorway, a single arm crossed over her body, before she began to walk around the perimeter of the room. She expected her to come over to talk, but this wasn't unusual for her. Max had a tendency to wander and snoop, and it was almost like old times, in a way. Chloe always wondered what went through her mind when she paced around to look at things.

Truthfully, she was probably doing it for the same reason Chloe was thankful she was doing it now, so they could each think over what to say. Chloe hated to admit that she frankly no idea what she was going to do. Apologize was the obvious first step, but after that? She was at a loss.

Max was currently staring at one of the numerous posters on the wall, and it occurred to Chloe that this might be the first time she had actually made the effort to examine everything. The last time she had been here was to help Chloe deal with her injuries, and then it would definitely have been inconsiderate to snoop. Not that it wasn't now, but Chloe had accepted it.

Maybe if she had come over earlier, Chloe's coming out wouldn't have been such a surprise. Her walls were filled with plenty of scantily clad women, punk band posters, and even a small rainbow flag that Rachel had convinced her to tape up. She hated to say it should have been obvious, given that she never tried in the least to hide it, but Max wasn't the most perceptive.

Max eventually finished her loop around the room, and found herself back at the bed, looming over it. Chloe certainly wasn't going to be the one to start the conversation, not if Max had decided that wandering about was more important than talking about the elephant in the room.

After several moments of awkward silence, Max eventually sat down. She immediately changed her mind and rolled so that their heads were aligned, Max facing Chloe. Chloe was still on her back, pointedly not looking at her until she began speaking.

"Chloe," Max said. "I want to apologize for this morning."

 _Of_ _course_ she would start with an apology. Never mind that was exactly what Chloe had wanted at first, but Steph had hammered it into her brain that Max was not the one who screwed up.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. It was really fucking rude of me to say something like that. I don't blame you for needing to be away from me. In fact, I wouldn't blame you for wanting to stay away. I shouldn't have dropped that atom bomb of a confession on you."

Once the words started, Chloe couldn't stop them. Her mind had been thinking of almost nothing else all day, and there was so much she wanted to say. The problem was, the moment she said anything, it never felt like exactly what she meant.

"I don't want to stay away, Chloe. That's why I came to talk to you." She had a point, but Chloe was waiting for the inevitable 'but'. "You're right, I wasn't ready for that, but I've had all day to think about it."

"I understand completely. You needed space, and I hope I haven't made you think you needed to talk to me so quickly. I honestly didn't expect to see you again today.

"Well, I guess I can't stay away." Max gave her a soft smile. "But as I said, I've been thinking, and there is something I want to say."

"Always. Whatever you need."

This was it. Max was going to let her down easy, which was more than she deserved. Chloe's only hope was that she would eventually be able to make it up to her. God only knows how much anxiety this must have given her, and she was the cause.

“I know I haven't really... had much experience with dating anyone, at least so you've said.” Max began speaking much softer, so Chloe rolled closer, facing her to hear better. “And I don't know if this means I'm gay or bi or whatever, but I do know that I like being around you and you obviously really care about me. I'd like to try this, the two of us. If that's okay with you.”

Chloe was stunned. She looked into Max's eyes, waiting for her to change her mind or reveal it as a joke, but she meant it completely.

“You want to date me? Even with everything going on?”

Max nodded. “I'm not sure if I... _love_ you, but I do like you, Chloe. I like you a lot; you're smart and handsome and always speak your mind and I think that's wonderful. So yes, I do want to date you.”

“Oh.” This was not how Chloe imagined this conversation going. Not in the slightest. “I guess that means you're my girlfriend now. Again.”

“I'd rather we call it the first time, if that's alright.”

 _Idiot_. The last thing she needs is to be reminded of what she lost.

“Of course. I can do that.”

Max gave her a smile at that and moved over to wrap her arms around Chloe, her head tucked in Chloe's shoulder. This wasn't the first time they had held each other since she had woken up, but none of those other times had ever felt the same way. It had always been one of them trying to calm the other down. This was better. It was happy.

They held each other for several minutes, no sound except their own breathing. It was Max who broke the silence first.

“Chloe, can I ask you something?”

“You just did, but I'll let you have one more.” She could feel the smile on Max's lips, even if she couldn't see it.

Max pulled back and looked up at Chloe, only a few inches away. To Chloe, her eyes seemed to sparkle. It was cheesy, but she would have sworn it was true.

“Can I kiss you?”

Chloe's eyes widened at the question. They had kissed before—that and a lot more—but Max had never _asked_. She had always done it without hesitation.

Max couldn't hold Chloe's gaze as she waited for a response, and her eyes drifted up, too embarrassed to focus. Chloe couldn't stand how cute she looked like this. She would never say so, but she kind of loved not being the sheepish one for once. During that week, Max was always the one who made the move on her, so Chloe decided to take the initiative.

Without a word, Chloe leaned in and brought her lips to Max's. Her heart began thumping wildly as they connected, and it took a moment of shock before Max returned the kiss. Her inexperience was obvious, she used too much teeth and pressed forward uncomfortably hard, but Chloe didn't care. It was as magical as it had been every time before; maybe more so, now that they had bared their hearts to each other.

Max broke the kiss first, pulling her head back while still holding Chloe. Chloe could hear Max's heart racing as she softly panted with excitement.

“Wowzer.”

Chloe couldn't hold in the laugh at her word-choice, and rolled over onto her back for space, grabbing and squeezing on Max's hand. Even Max herself felt it was a little silly, and joined in too. Soon enough, they were both out of breath, still coughing out random chuckles with their hands clasped together.

“Never change, Max,” Chloe eventually managed to say, once their laughing fit eventually died out. The two of them lay on their backs, shoulder to shoulder, staring up at the ceiling. They kept stealing glances at each other, smiling when they made eye contact.

“I won't, not again,” Max said definitively. Chloe believed it, and something great occurred to her: For the first time in weeks, she was happy.

-~-

Max awoke feeling warm. They had fallen asleep still wrapped in each other's arms, chatting until neither of them could go on any longer. Thinking back, Max couldn't keep the smile from her face; she had gotten a lot more practice kissing Chloe, and hoped that she would get plenty more.

She untangled herself from Chloe, hearing her groan out a _whazzit?_ before falling back asleep. The clock on the desk told Max that she had plenty of time before her first class. Regardless, she still needed to shower. She considered digging through the closet for clothes but decided against it. She was still wearing the ones Chloe gave her that morning. Her old clothes must be around somewhere; she'd find out later.

Max made her way to the bathroom, figuring that if they got ready now, she'd have ample time to go to her dorm and change before class. Fortunately, they weren't in a rush like yesterday.

Thankfully, there was plenty of warm water, and Max spent longer than she should have in the cleansing flow, but she didn't regret it in the slightest. Sometimes, all one needs is to take a moment to think away from everyone else.

_I can't believe that I did it. Chloe really is wonderful, and I hope I don't screw everything up. I wish my memories come back soon. That would solve so much. There are so many things I don't understand about everything that’s happened this week. Is that phone we found mine? Why was it in the junkyard? And I sounded so frightened in my journal. I don't want my body stolen, or whatever that was. Maybe my powers can protect me._

At the thought of her powers, Max mentally slapped herself. Yesterday had gone by so quickly once she had seen Chloe again, and their conversation afterward was the only thing on her mind all night. She still had something important to show Chloe, and Max didn't want to wait.

She quickly finished up her scrub, turned off the water, and dried off. She dressed in Chloe's same t-shirt from yesterday and returned to the bedroom.

Sometime during her shower, Chloe must have woken up, because she was sitting on her bed typing on her phone. Seeing Max return, she quickly finished up her text and put her phone away.

“Mornin' Maxo. You didn't happen to run into the parental units out there, did you? I'd rather get out of here unscolded.”

She stood up to take her own shower, but was stopped by Max. “Chloe, hold on. There's something I want to show you!”

Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Alright. Hit me.”

Max tapped into her power and watched the world go gray. All during classes yesterday, to distract herself, Max tried to discover what exactly had happened with Kate. There had been the constant skips—small moments where people seemed to jump forward—and at first Max thought she must have been rewinding without remembering, but the answer was much simpler.

Through the grayscale of her power, she could see herself move around slightly, speaking words she couldn't hear. To make it obvious something happened, Max stepped to the side several feet and dropped her power.

The moment she did, Chloe's gaze snapped over to where Max now was.

“You... rewound? I don't get it.”

Right. It would look that way to her. “No, I did the opposite. I fast-forwarded! From when I told you I was going to do something, to right now, it was only about half the time. I think I could make it go faster if I wanted, though.”

Chloe had a look of confusion on her face. “So that's what's been going on? You've been fast-forwarding without realizing it? But I was still talking to you.”

Max thought about it. If she was fast-forwarding, her body clearly didn't disappear. It kept going, exactly like when she photo jumped. What did it mean?

“We were talking, right. I saw that. What were we talking about?”

“I asked what you were going to show me,” Chloe said, “but you didn't really answer. You just changed subjects and asked if I was going to get ready and if I would drive you to class. I will, of course.” Chloe shot Max a smile, though her confusion was still evident.

“Oh. So I didn't know what I was doing? That's strange.”

Chloe shrugged. “We can give it another shot, if you want. I'll ask you directly about some stuff and see how you respond. Might help to do some quick experimenting.”

Max nodded. “Sounds good. I'll count off to let you know when I start.”

On the count of three, she pulled herself forward in time again. It became easier each time, like training a muscle. Her rewind worked the same way.

This time, when Max fast-forwarded, she focused all she could on the conversation in realspace. She could clearly hear that words were being spoken, but they sounded wobbly and distorted. The voices reminded her of the parents from Charlie Brown.

Max watched the clock, judging about a minute and a half, then stepped to the side once more. She dropped the power, and Chloe looked back over toward her, eyes wide.

“Uh... hi?” Max waved.

“Well. That answered a lot. Looks like that in-between you can't rewind or anything. Doesn't even know that you _have_ powers. She got really confused when I kept pressing it, and insisted that we've been chatting about class. This is super weird.”

Max agreed. At least her not having powers seemed like a good thing, less likely for things to go screwy if she decided to rewind while Max was fast-forwarding. She couldn't even imagine what would happen then.

“No kidding. But at least we've solved one mystery, right? I'm probably not going insane.”

“Thank fuck for that.” Chloe walked over to the bed and scooped up a small pile of clothes that were sitting there. “But I've got to go get ready, so I can drive you over. Would hate to show up at Blackwell and ruin your rep by smelling like ass.”

“You don't smell like ass, though.”

Chloe clicked her tongue as she walked out into the hallway. “That's what they want you to think.”

Max had no idea what that meant.

-~-

In the truck, both of them ready for class, Chloe drove them to Blackwell. It wasn't a long drive, fortunately, and Max would have plenty of time to head to her dorm and grab her things before class. Near the end of their trip, Chloe turned down the radio's alt rock tunes, and reached over to grab Max's hand.

“Hey. So I've got to ask you something.” She kept her eyes on the road, but stole occasional glances at Max. “Not something big, like last time, though.” She quickly added.

“You can ask me anything. I'll try not to run.” Max immediately thought that maybe that wasn't the best thing to joke about, but Chloe took it in stride.

“So yesterday, after everything,” Chloe began, “I met up with my old friend Steph. We went to Blackwell together. She told me she found where Rachel was in LA.”

“Your ex?” Max remembered their conversation about her a couple of days ago. Chloe seemed furious to even hear her name then.

“Yeah, her. Steph said that she knew where she was and invited me to come down and stay with her if I wanted to talk to Rachel. At first, I really didn't want to, but I've been thinking about it, and I think I want to see her. I don't think we'll make up, but I want to know why she left like she did. She was never in a good place while we were together and it doesn't sound like she's gotten any better.”

Max thought it over. While her immediate instinct was to say no, because why would Chloe want to travel hundreds of miles to see her ex, the literal day after finding a new girlfriend? Then again, Max knew the two of them had been extremely close, and it was clearly still hurting Chloe these months later. She trusted Chloe entirely.

“Do you think seeing her will help?” Max asked.

Chloe sighed. “I... hope so. I can't guarantee I won't sock her in the face the moment I see her, but maybe that's what she deserves. If you let me go, I'll have the entire drive down to think it over, I guess.”

Max didn't like that wording. “Chloe, you don't need me to _let_ you go anywhere. I appreciate you asking, but I won't stop you. I would like you to keep in touch though.”

“Of course.” Chloe squeezed Max's hand. “You won't be able to get rid of me. It'll be like I'm right there with you.”

“When are you planning to leave?”

Chloe gave a nervous chuckle. “That's the thing. Steph got back to me earlier, and she's leaving tomorrow morning. I understand this is like super short notice, but yeah.”

That news did throw Max for a loop, but not enough for her to change her mind. “If you think it's best, I'll support you. You deserve to know what happened; I understand more than anyone.”

They were pulling into the Blackwell lot, Chloe trying to avoid the dozens of other cars all with the same idea.

“I know you do. We'll figure this all out together.”

“I hope so.”

Neither of them said anything as they finally pulled into the lot. Max unbuckled and opened the truck door, ready to head in, only to be pulled into a tight embrace.

“You gonna be okay today?” Chloe said into her ear. “I know that was kinda out of left field. Don't be afraid to take a timeout if you need it, and please call me if something comes up.”

Max pulled back and gave Chloe a look she intended to be reassuring, though she knew it didn't quite stick. “I will. You'll be the first to know.” She tried to play it off. “It's something that's been on my mind. We can talk about it later, though.”

“Hey.” The door was open, and Chloe put her hand on Max's arm before she could try to leave again. “Tell me? I'll only worry more if you don't.”

Chloe knew how to guilt her exactly right. Max didn't mind though; it was something she wanted to bring up, and now seemed as good a time as any.

“It's been weeks and I'm worried,” Max said, the smile sliding off her face, “because what if my memories don't come back, Chloe?

Chloe didn't falter. “That won't be a problem. We'll just have to make new ones. For the both of us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship.
> 
> Welp. They're dating. Story's over. Everyone is happy forever and every problem has been sol-  
> What's that? Rachel? The phone? The journal?  
> Oh... Maybe not everything is so sunshine and roses. But maybe we can imagine for now...
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Next chapter: 10-6


	15. Patience

“ _So they ain't comin'?” Nathan asked, taking another drag of his cigarette. The party outside was still going strong, but right now it was too much._

“ _I made sure they knew they were welcome,” Victoria replied. “Full VIP invitation and everything. Courtney even offered to help Max dress for the occasion—not that she would ever dare try to pull off anything new.”_

_She held out her hand, and Nathan wordlessly passed her another cigarette._

“ _Right, you got a thing for dorky hipsters. I remember.”_

_Victoria scoffed. “As if. Believe it or not, not every powerful woman you meet has to be gay.”_

“ _So that thing with Taylor...?” He let the words trail off._

“ _Just an experiment. It meant nothing.”_

_Nathan turned to look her in the eyes. “Does she know that?”_

-Final Timeline, October 10th

* * *

Up in her dorm room, Max got ready for class. She still had plenty of time before World History so there wasn't any rush. She changed out of Chloe's giant clothes and set them on her bed. Chloe would get them back after a wash.

It was the first chance she had gotten to spend time in her room since Tuesday, as yesterday she had immediately gone over to Chloe's after school. She had only popped in for a few seconds to drop off her things before heading out.

She grabbed a textbook off of her desk and noticed her lab report was there where she had set it last, but strangely, it wasn't blank like she expected. It was due Friday, and she knew that Mrs. Grant was expecting it done—though she was sure she could ask for an extension if she needed it, which it was looking like she might—but with everything going on the past couple of days, she had never done more than look at the requirements.

However, clear as could be, there were several paragraphs worth of response and explanation over the lab they had done Monday. Max gave it a read-through and discovered that it was her handwriting exactly. The voice of the writing seemed like something she would make too, but she definitely had written none of it.

Sticking the half-finished report in her backpack, she gathered the rest of her things—noting that it was almost time to go, and Kate would probably be over soon—and considered when she could have written it. If she fast-forwarded over her work, that might do it, but Max was sure that she didn't skip for long enough to write it. Chloe had come over almost immediately the last time she had been in.

The moment the solution came to her, she almost slapped herself about how obvious it was. The photo jump she had done from the junkyard went entirely over that day, and Chloe had then gone to the junkyard without her. Since Chloe didn't pick her up, she had spent some time working on the report while Chloe waited for her current self to jump back.

Max was proud of herself for solving the problem, though it made her wonder what other small details might have changed. This wasn't something she could have planned for, and while she wasn't complaining about the free work she had gotten done, she would need to be careful about what other changes might occur.

Ready for class and problem solved, Max put powers and time travel out of her mind for the day. Yesterday she had understood exactly nothing any of her teachers had said, given that her mind was occupied with testing out her fast-forward and considering what to do about Chloe's confession, and she didn't want a repeat of that.

Today would be a day for learning, something Max had not done near enough of in her almost full week back at Blackwell. With no more distractions, it would be easy.

-~-

“Why does this place have to be so difficult? And who gives homework over the weekend?”

Max had just gotten out of her final class for the day, Cultural Anthropology, one she shared with Kate. She was beaten. Mr. Holtz, their teacher, had possibly the most boring and droning voice Max had ever heard. She didn't know how anyone made it through that class without dying of boredom.

Thankfully at least, her hour-and-a-half of hell was finally over. Max walked out of the building toward the dorms with Kate, and even though she should have been excited for the coming weekend, the weight of all the work she had put off damped her enthusiasm.

“Well, it may look bad, but I don't think it will be when we get down to it,” Kate replied. “When did you want to reschedule our study day? We can work together some later and finish things up then. I'm free all weekend, if that works well for you.”

“Yeah. I think that works for me. How about Saturday? I don't have anything going on at all.” It was unfortunately true. With Chloe planning to leave tomorrow, Max frankly didn't know what she would do with herself all weekend. Besides study and work, but she didn't want to think about exactly how much she had to catch up on.

“Good!” Kate said. “We can figure out the details later. I think with both of us working on it, we shouldn't have too much trouble.”

Max nodded, and before she could say any more, spotted Victoria walking toward them, striding across the grounds with purpose. She gave Kate a small wave, but her focus was on Max.

“Maxine, do you ever check your phone? We would have liked a little heads-up if you weren't planning to come.”

Max didn’t understand what Victoria was talking about. “Come where? Was I supposed to do something?”

“Ugh,” Victoria sighed. “We were meeting over to Nathan's place, remember? He texted you about it the other day. He said you were coming.”

Oh, yeah. Max had completely forgotten about that, though she didn't remember ever saying she was interested. It didn't seem out of character for Nathan to make that assumption, however.

“Oh. I'm sorry Victoria. I must have forgotten about it.”

The look in Victoria’s eyes made Max think she would say something rude or snappy, but she caught herself before anything came out. She took several deep breaths, calming herself down before she replied.

“I understand. I know it can be difficult for you to remember things now, and that's alright. Have you tried using a day planner? I find it helps me keep my duties in order.”

“Thanks. I'll keep that in mind,” Max said. Thankfully, being in the hospital for memory problems gives you a bit more leeway when you forget things. Victoria's idea was helpful, too, with everything that was happening.

“You haven't happened to have seen him around today, have you?

“Uh, no. Sorry.” The only friends Max had talked to today were Kate, Warren, and Brooke. She didn't share any classes with Nathan, so she didn't run into him often.

“Hmm.” Victoria thought for a moment, manicured finger on her lip. “Well, if you see him, text me. The party last night didn't go so well, and he hasn't been answering my calls. He gets like this sometimes.”

Max was not disappointed she missed whatever must have happened. If she had met Nathan when he was doing better than ever, she didn't want to think what he must be like when he's in a mood.

“I'll keep an eye out,” she said. Kate nodded in agreement. It wasn't likely that Kate would run into Nathan, but more eyes never hurt. Max knew how close Victoria and Nathan were, and if his disappearance worried her, it was probably for a reason.

Victoria gave them a soft smile. “Thanks, you two. I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing. I need to go talk to someone in particular. Ciao.”

She threw out a light wave as she walked in the other direction toward the main building. People she passed along the way seemed to naturally avoid her once they noticed the determined stride and hardened look in her face.

“I hope Nathan is okay,” Kate said. “I don't know him all that well, but I would hate to hear that something has happened.”

“He's probably fine. She said he does this a lot.”

Kate didn't seem convinced, but Max didn't think she had any reason to doubt it. Nathan was the kind of guy who wouldn't accept help if you offered it. He had a strange friendship with her for reasons Max still didn't understand, but he had been kind enough so far, if a bit unsettling. Besides, Max had enough problems to deal with herself.

Nathan would be fine; she was sure of it.

-~-

Max decided that studying had to have been created by some great devil whose only goal was to ruin the minds of teenagers. Trying to memorize the details of Hammurabi's code, advanced algebra, and musical theory all at once was killing her. Kate and Max had been working for what felt like days in Max's room, and she was about to explode.

That might have been a _little_ dramatic, but it was how it felt to her. Kate had saintlike patience, helping her and explaining things that should have been elementary. Still, trying to understand so many subjects was difficult. She thought starting from the beginning and working her way forward would be best, but she quickly became hopelessly lost, no matter the class. Most people have at one subject they excel in, or at least can perform competently, but Max didn't have that.

Reading through the books and old assignments they had given her was interesting, though, in that frequently she would have the barest flash of enlightenment before succumbing to ineptitude again. Old Max hadn't been that great of a student either, if the little she retained was anything to go by. Her GPA agreed.

After Max realized she had spent the past twenty minutes staring at a single paragraph, understanding none of it, she gave up.

“This isn't working,” she said. “If I have to look at one more math problem, I might just die.”

“Oh, don't be like that, Max.” Kate lightly chided as they both closed their textbooks. “You're doing better than you think. With more time I'm sure you'll be all caught up.”

Max sighed. “It doesn't feel like that at all. If I could just remember everything, things would be so much simpler.”

“Maybe. But simpler isn't always better, I’ve learned. I prayed for you to wake every night while you were in the hospital, and I believe He answered them when you came back to us. Everything being like it was before would be nice, but I like to think it all happens for a reason.”

“I guess…” Max wasn't a religious person, but knowing that Kate prayed for her still helped. Max wasn't the only one who had been hurt.

“I want you to be happy, even with the terrible things that have happened. You and Chloe have done so much for me.”

“If you say so.”

Kate gathered up her things and stood. “Trust me, I know. Remember that I'm always free to talk if you need, no matter what.”

Max stood after her and gave Kate a quick hug. “You’re too good, Kate. I don't know what I would do without you.”

“You would figure it out. You're smart.”

“I don't feel like it sometimes,” Max chuckled. “Most times, really.”

As Kate left, Max checked her phone. It had been on silent all day to prevent distractions, and so she had a flood of unread messages from several people.

**_Chloe_ ** _: Max_

 **_Chloe_ ** _: Maxi_

 **_Chloe_ ** _: Maxoxoxoxoxoxo_

 **_Chloe_ ** _: Maximillion_

 **_Chloe_ ** _: Minimum_

 **_Chloe_ ** _: send help_

 **_Chloe_ ** _: I went to go help steph and her aunt out but now theyre arguing over an old clock_

 **_Chloe_ ** _: its not even a cool clock I dont get it_

 **_Chloe_ ** _: oh and so apparently shes leaving like super early is that okay? Id like to see you before I go, girlfriend. I can ask her to swing by if you can be awake._

**_Victoria_ ** _: Just so you know, I would appreciate it if you had told me you weren't planning to come. I looked all over for you to give you a ride. Though, I suppose you didn't miss much other than a few tipsy arguments. We might have another meet-up in a few weeks. If you didn't know, we used to do parties until everything with Jefferson. So now we go to Nathan's instead._

**_Nate:_ ** _tll v im ok. needed to get away im fin eeverythings fnie_

Nathan said he was alright, which was good news that Max immediately passed onto Victoria. She didn't respond for a bit, so she was probably busy.

It was fairly late, and Max had spent all of her time today working with Kate, which meant that it was time to start winding down. She sent some texts to Chloe to find out when exactly she would come by in the morning. It didn't sound like she had time to stay long, which was a shame.

Max couldn't wait for Chloe to come back, even though she still had yet to leave. They had only begun dating— _again?_ —the day before, and she had honestly been tempted to tell Chloe not to go. Chloe would have stayed if she asked, Max felt, but was it even right for her to do so? Steph would head back to LA alone, and Chloe would never find out what happened to Rachel. A slight twinge of jealousy struck her, and even though Max knew that they hated each other now, a small worry still wormed its way into her mind.

_What if Chloe realized she still loved Rachel? What if she gave up on Max? What if she stayed in LA and never came back?_

Those outcomes were unlikely, Max logically knew, but they still gave her pause. Max pushed those thoughts down and continued texting Chloe. She would have to trust her girlfriend.

The idea that Chloe was her actual, real, proper _girlfriend_ sent a wave of giddiness through Max. She had never thought about much of anyone in that way, let alone another girl, but now that they were together, it seemed so natural. Max promised herself that she wouldn't ruin this, no matter what.

Max had made many promises like that, from what she remembered, but this one would work out. It had to.

-~-

“Hey! There's my favorite hipster!”

Max heard Chloe's voice call out to her as she turned the corner around a car in the Blackwell lot. Chloe was standing next to another girl Max didn't recognize in front of a small compact. The truck was nowhere to be seen.

It wasn't even six o'clock in the morning, so the chill of the cold November air pierced through Max's thin coat. She regretted not bundling up tighter for her early foray outside, but figured there was a quick and easy way to get warm.

Hands in her jacket pockets, Max ran up and let herself be wrapped in Chloe's outstretched arms. Her heat helped Max warm up to a comfortable temperature, though Max would always be thankful for a Chloe hug, no matter the reason.

“Jesus, Max. You really are freezing.”

Max nodded into Chloe's chest. “I'm cold-blooded, apparently.”

“No kidding you are.” Chloe stepped in closer to Max's side as she peeled herself away to look at Chloe's friend. “As you might have guessed, this is Steph. I told her about my cool new hipster girlfriend, but I gotta say you really aren't making me look good here.”

Max _humphed_ and bumped Chloe with her shoulder. She held out her hand to Steph, who shook it. “It's good to meet you. I'm Max, obviously.”

Steph looked exactly like Chloe had described her, down to the purple beanie glued to her head. She only had on a t-shirt, but she didn't seem bothered by the cold. “It's good to meet you, Max. Chloe's told me a lot of good things about you. She told me what happened too, and I'm really sorry to hear that.”

“Thanks,” Max said. “Things are getting better, at least we think so. It's been difficult, but luckily Chloe here has been helping so much.”

Chloe pulled Max closer into her side-hug. “Anything for you, superhero.”

Max couldn't hold the smile off her face, though her blush was invisible since her face was already red with cold. She barely felt Chloe's lips on hers when she leaned down and gave her a small peck.

“You know my gay heart hates to interrupt this sappy scene,” Steph said, “but Chloe and I do have to get moving if we want to get there at a reasonable time. It's like a sixteen-hour drive, and I am not looking forward to that. I'll hop in the car so you two can say goodbye. It was nice to meet you, Max.”

Steph gave Max a wave and sat in the driver's seat of her cart, leaving Max and Chloe together outside, still standing side-by-side. Max was the one who broke it first, moving to in front of Chloe, holding both of her hands.

“You know I'll miss you, right?”

Chloe smiled. “I hope so, because I'm gonna miss you too. I know this whole situation is a little unexpected and rough, considering we literally just started dating. I won't be gone long; if we don't find her in a week I'll buy a plane ticket back.”

“Do whatever you need to do.” Max knew Chloe wouldn't abandon her, no matter what crossed her mind. “I'll be here waiting.”

“I hope so. When I get back we're gonna hang out _so_ much that you’ll get sick of me. You're my partner in crime.”

Max stepped closer. “Yeah, we're partners in crime. It's perfect.”

Max leaned in, not seeing Chloe's smile waver, and connected to her girlfriend in a deep kiss. Max was eager to feel Chloe as much as possible before she left, and Chloe wasn't going to deny her. They kept it going for as long as possible, before their rapid heartbeats forced them apart for breath.

“Come back soon,” Max whispered.

-~-

Goodbye finished, Max made her way back up to her dorm. One more day in her first week of classes, and she was ashamed to admit that she still had little to no idea what she was doing, even with Kate's help. Her original plan was to bunker down and focus on her work, but with so many developments with Old Max, her powers, and Chloe, she simply never had time.

The irony wasn't lost on her. Rewind powers would be useful for studying, if she could go back further than five minutes without a debilitating headache and nosebleeds. The photo jump gives more time, but telling her alternate self to study more doesn't help her in the slightest when she pulls back. And of course, fast-forwarding was the exact opposite of finding more time.

It seemed she would have to do it the old-fashioned way. There was still a little over an hour left before her first class, so she considered getting some work in, starting with finishing her lab report. Auto Max may have cracked open the textbook, but unfortunately, none of that knowledge carried over to now.

Instead, she threw her backpack down onto her sofa and collapsed onto her bed. It was finally the weekend, and Chloe was out of town, roaring down to LA with Steph, so there was nothing to distract her. She could afford a small nap.

However, before she could finally drift off, a corner of something sharp lightly poked into her back. Max sat up and felt around blindly behind her to feel what it was and grabbed a hold of a small square.

It was a slightly wrinkled polaroid that must have fallen off of her wall on accident. There was an empty space on the second bottom row where it had been, the blank square sticking out like a sore thumb. The picture was of herself in front of a row of lockers, staring upwards into the camera. This was one of several on the wall that focused solely on Max, with no obvious other draw or interesting item. Old Max sure loved pictures of herself.

She flipped it over to glance at the back and was surprised to find that there was writing in neat pen on the back. The handwriting was her own, but what she had apparently written confused her.

**09/11/13**

**Talk to S**

**Get W+B and W off back**

**Tell J that N busy – Send SP message**

Though the details didn't make much sense, something was clear from the effort that had been made. If Old Max also had photo powers, it would only be smart for her to have taken as many as possible, as a safety to provide her jumps back. What better way than a collage of useful pictures on her wall? It explained her obsession with daily selfies, at least.

It was becoming more and more obvious that Old Max had been on a mission of some sort, one that involved everyone at Blackwell, but the what or why was still a mystery. Finding details about a time traveler was difficult, and what they had uncovered so far only raised more questions.

Max thought about who might fit in for the names, but was uncertain. Who were S and J? Steph might fit for S, but she had graduated earlier, right? She wouldn't be at Blackwell, especially if Chloe said she hadn't seen her in years.

There was an obvious solution to the problem, though the thought frightened her somewhat. The polaroid would be simple to jump into, and in fact she could already feel the pull of her power when she looked at it. The risk of accidentally changing the timeline was great, but how else was she going to find out what happened?

Old Max had done _something_ , and if her journal was anything to go by, she might have either stolen another Max's body, or been the one to have had her's stolen. There were too many Maxes, too many possibilities, and too many unanswered questions. Max couldn't take the chance that something terrible would happen to her as well.

She knew she would regret it, but without another moment of hesitation, Max pushed down her concern and stared into the photo. There was the immediate feeling of a familiar tug of something deep within her begging to be released, almost like a ball of static building up inside her.

Max ceased resisting, letting her power free, and felt herself be pulled away once more into the blinding light.

-~-

**_End of Part Two_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When all you have is a hammer...
> 
> It's Pricefield week! Because of that, I will be fulfilling prompts and writing for that.  
> Keep an eye out!
> 
> I went back and gave numbers on the epigraphs, to provide a bit more info and to make it clear which ones actually happened.
> 
> Also, thanks once again to everyone for your kudos, comments, and reviews. It truly means a lot.
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Next chapter: 10-20


	16. Interlude: Guns/Drugs/Money

_They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself._

* * *

On an unnamed cliff, almost two hundred miles away from Arcadia Bay, Nathan Prescott stared out into the trees. From this height, the entire forest looked like a painting. He imagined that if he had more time, more talent, and more love for creating on a canvas, it might actually have been something beautiful. He didn't, though, so to him it simply looked like something one would find in a cheap Italian restaurant.

Regardless of its lack of beauty, it did what it needed to. Right now, all Nathan needed was peace. The past couple of months had been filled with nothing but confusion, surprises, and arguments, and it all came to a head at the Vortex Club party the night before. Sometimes getting away from those situations helped. Sometimes it didn't.

In his hand, he held his father's pistol. **_Use it!_ ** His was still in the glove box of the car, but this one felt right. Going out unprotected made him uneasy. Not because anyone would fuck with him— **_Hell No!—_ **but because the feeling of the weapon gave him power. That was all he could rely on right now.

Nathan tried to shove the intrusive shouts away. This was why he needed the space; usually this far away, they stayed quiet. Sometimes they would still make their presence known, and that was how he resigned himself to the fact that he wasn't far enough.

Every time Nathan ran he felt the urge to travel further. Eventually, he'd run out of places to run; the range of these voices would reach the ends of the Earth. What would he do then?

**_Give up!_ **

Nathan gripped the gun tighter and looked down to focus on it, trying to wrestle back some mote of control in his stormy mind. It was a simple thing, no engravings, golden plates, or anything to identify it as anything more than some boring pistol with the serial numbers removed. His father was always like that. Substance over style. That was probably one of those pretentious Latin phrases he always said, but _fuck_ Latin.

Fuck his father.

Fuck these voices.

**_Fuck you!_ **

But most of all,

Fuck Max.

It was her fault he was out here right now. If she had let him go, he would've been back a few days later, not having to worry about any of these problems. But she had to fuckin' get him to _unleash his feelings_. What the fuck did she expect to happen? One goddamn open heart feelings party and he'd be fixed? The dozens of therapists and psychiatrists hadn't done jack for him so far.

Nathan hated his life. He hated these voices. And he hated everything. Sometimes he considered never returning to Blackwell; what would even be the point? But he always did after long enough. A carefully written letter from his father smoothed over any assignments he missed, and if Wells caused a fuss, he would _forget_ the problems the next time he showed up with a new watch, paid for by the Prescotts.

It was obvious no one at that hellhole cared about him. If it wasn't for his father's connections he'd be long since kicked out. Instead, he had to deal with useless teachers assigning useless homework while his useless therapist prescribed him useless pills. If one of them could actually manage to stop the fucking voices they'd be in line for a goddamn Nobel Prize.

**_You're useless._ **

The voices in his head couldn't even stand to be creative anymore. Regardless, it was more than Nathan was willing to deal with right now. Whatever force gave him the idea to pull over and try to admire nature or some shit again was probably sighing in disappointment. Well, that's how it always ended anyway.

Nathan stood and stuffed the gun into the waistband of his pants, resigning himself to the fact that this idea was fucking idiotic. **_Like most you have._ **

“Shut the _fuck_ up!” He snapped the gun back out and pointed it wildly, desperate for something to aim at.

For once, the voices didn't respond. His yell echoed over the cliff and through the forest. In the distance, he faintly noticed a bird cawing in response, barely audible over the blood pumping through his ears.

“I'm goddamn _sick_ of this shit! Those quacks think they know how to _fix_ me? I've done the pills. I've listened to the shrinks. And they've only made things _WORSE_!” Without thinking, Nathan threw his father's gun with all of his strength over the cliff.

That act of defiance drained him. Nathan fell to his knees and watched the pistol tumble through the air, quickly lost beneath the leaves of the trees below. He blindly wiped at his face as tears began to leak from his eyes, trying to keep it together.

“Why can't I just be okay...?”

He didn't know how long he sat there, trying to get himself under control. This wasn't the first time he had lashed out, and it wouldn't be the last. When he finally felt well enough to move, he shakily stood on his feet and made his way back to the truck, away from all this nature shit.

The gun was long gone, and Nathan didn't care enough to go looking for it even if there was the slightest chance it would ever be found. He didn't know what he wanted from stopping at this cliff, but he knew he didn't find it. It was a waste of time, like most things he did.

Inside his truck, he spotted himself in the rearview mirror. His eyes were red and puffy, occasionally drifting in and out of focus. There was a cut on his upper cheek that he didn't remember getting. That happened occasionally.

Trying to get his mind off of his own self-pity, he wrestled the keys from his pocket and shoved them into the ignition. The sound of the engine starting, and the knowledge that he still had everywhere in the world to go, provided him some momentary calm—though it quickly passed.

He popped open the glove box and pulled out his revolver. This, he wouldn't lose. He placed it in the passenger's seat, just visible in the corner of his eye, and reversed out of the overlook back on to the road.

Occasionally, he glanced over at the gun, as if to make sure it was still there. He didn't know what he would do if he lost this one too. The other one, the one rusting away in the dirt, he barely cared about. His father was still gone, and even when he got back he wouldn't even notice. There would be more important things for him to be angry about. Like the money Nathan had taken the last time he planned to leave.

He drove along the narrow stretch without thinking as his mind wandered off again. Everything always seemed to come back to money. It made the world go round, as people said. But money was nothing to power, and with better spirits and his gun by his side, Nathan felt like he could be the most powerful man in the world.

-~-

“Look Rach, do we really have to do this? You know he gives me the creeps, especially after everything that happened with Damon.”

Rachel held back her sigh. For the past few months, Chloe had become more and more reluctant to see Frank. She thought they were all friends, but apparently something had happened, and they weren't anymore. At first, Rachel had worried Chloe found out about their... situation, but if she had she certainly would have said something. The only time Chloe and Frank ever interacted these days was when she needed some weed and her other avenues weren't available.

So instead, Rachel contented herself with having Chloe Time and Frank Time. She loved Chloe—how couldn't she?—but sometimes she was a little too much to deal with. Frank was calm in comparison. When they were together, Rachel could almost believe that everything was okay.

Chloe wouldn't understand, of course. Rachel had far too much love for only one person, and she couldn't be happy with only her. That's why Chloe could never know about Frank and Mark. If she found out, Rachel knew she would react poorly. It would only hurt her to know.

Sometimes, however, Rachel needed to stop by with Frank, and Chloe tagged along. She always got clingy, and this time she insisted on not staying behind again. So they found themselves walking toward Frank's RV, parked on the beach this afternoon, and Chloe hadn't stopped complaining since they left.

“We totally could've just gone and talked to Justin. He still owes me. I think...”

“Like I said,” Rachel began as they approached the door, “you didn't have to come. If you had chilled at the junkyard like I asked, it would've only been a half-hour at most. You can stand to be apart from me that long, right?”

“You going by yourself doesn't make Frank any less of a dickbag, though.”

Rachel stopped and turned to Chloe. “I don't need you to protect me. Believe it or not, I can handle things without you.”

Chloe paused for a moment at the sudden sharpness in Rachel's voice but quickly responded with equal vitriol.

“Well _excuse me_ for not wanting you to be alone with the drug dealer who's not above killing people. Remember that, Rachel? He literally murdered a man. How can you think he's safe?”

Rachel wanted to explode. Chloe didn't understand how Frank really was, and she didn't want to make an effort to either. If she knew him as Rachel did, she wouldn't be so judgmental and worried.

“He did it to protect me. To protect us. And if you thi-”

Rachel's response was interrupted by the door of the RV slamming open.

Frank stood in the doorway, looking as if he had just woken up, if his disheveled clothing was any indication.

“Are you two girlies really gonna stand out here yelling about me? It's usually considered polite to knock, especially if you're planning to buy from this dickbag. Isn't that right, Chloe?”

His glare bored into Chloe, who sheepishly rubbed the back of her head while refusing to make eye contact. Apparently, he heard enough of their conversation before interrupting them. Rachel was silently glad he did at that moment before their argument became any more heated.

“And I would appreciate it if you two wouldn't go telling the whole world about what happened. We're past that. I did what I had to do.”

Chloe silently nodded her head. It didn't seem like she was going to respond, so Rachel decided to move things forward.

“Hi, Frank. We're just here to pick up, if that's okay.” She flashed a smile, trying to give him a bit of her charm he loved so much. “I hope we didn't interrupt your nap. We won't be long, I promise.”

“I wasn't-” Frank began, then stopped himself. “Yeah, yeah. Be quick about it.”

“Don't worry,” Rachel said with a smile, “We will.”

She waved Chloe forward and they both followed Frank into his RV. Chloe still refused to make eye contact, and took her seat on the couch near the driver's seat. Rachel sat beside her.

The inside was no different from any other time Rachel had been here, which was no surprise. Frank was never one to change without a good reason. The door to his bedroom was cracked open, and Rachel could spy the corner of the bed behind it. Chloe had never been in there, but Rachel had many times, not they she would ever admit it to Chloe.

Once they were seated, Frank opened one of the drawers and grabbed a dense plastic baggie and a scale from within. On the cabinet above was a calendar he had yet to flip over, and still showed _May_ _2011_. He began setting up on the table as he spoke.

“So how much are you ladies lookin' to buy today?”

Chloe was the one who had been complaining about her low stash, so Rachel nudged her to answer.

“Uh, just a quarter.” She didn't seem confident in her response, but nodded when Frank shot them both an inquisitive look. “Yeah, that'll do.”

Frank began carefully measuring things out for Chloe. He worked silently until he was finished, then pulled out a plastic baggie and scooped the nuggets inside with a satisfied grunt.

He waved Chloe over. “There you go. I assume you got the cash on you? You know the price.”

Chloe nodded and pulled out her wallet. Rachel was thankful he chose not to bring up her other debt, the couple hundred she had gotten to finish fixing the truck. She knew Frank wouldn't let it slide forever, but it wasn't on his mind today, thankfully.

Transaction completed, Chloe made her move to the exit, ready to be out of there. She didn't enjoy Frank's company in the best of times, and him overhearing their conversation outside didn't do her any favors. Unfortunately, Rachel couldn't go yet.

“Hey Frank? Can I get something too?”

He looked over at her. “Yeah? Of course, Rachel. What do you need?” He made his way over to the drawer again to wait for her response. Chloe watched from by the door.

“Remember that stuff I got last time?” A flash of confusion crossed Chloe's face. She wasn't there that time, and Rachel didn't want to do this with her here now either, but it couldn't wait. “Do you think I could get some more?”

Frank seemed a little taken aback by the question, but gave a small shrug. “Yeah. Let me grab it from the back.”

He walked through the door into his bedroom, and Rachel could hear him rummaging around. While he did, Chloe walked over to where she sat, looking for an explanation.

“What'd you buy from him? I thought you didn't do anything more than weed.”

Rachel didn't make eye contact with her. “It's something to help with my nerves.”

Before Chloe could press for details, Frank came back, blank translucent pill bottle in hand. From what Rachel could see, it was filled with numerous clear capsules with powder inside. Exactly what she needed. Frank passed it to her, and she quickly stuffed it into her pocket.

The look on Chloe's face told Rachel that she clearly saw what was inside. Rachel wanted to get out quickly before the inevitable confrontation. She reached into her pocket and grabbed the wad of bills she had grabbed earlier that day. She shoved it at Frank without counting and walked past him to the exit.

“Hey!” Frank called after her. “You gave me an extra twenty!”

Rachel didn't respond. She opened the door and stepped down back onto the beach. Chloe followed out soon after. Frank grumbled from inside but only closed the door, wisely choosing not to follow. He wasn't one to complain too much if someone gave him extra. Rachel could explain it to him next time, anyway.

The moment they were out of earshot of the RV, she felt Chloe's harsh grip on her arm to stop her.

“What the fuck was that? I thought you meant like Adderall or something, not whatever that stuff is.”

Rachel tried to keep walking to the truck, but Chloe wasn't letting go. She knew this would turn out poorly, and she did it anyway. Maybe she could use this opportunity to come clean.

The instant she considered it, she knew she wouldn't be able to. Chloe wouldn't understand anything. She was the kind of person who wanted explanations and assurances, neither of which Rachel would be able to provide.

“As I said, it's for my nerves.”

“So what is it? Do you have anxiety or something?”

Of course, she wasn't getting it. It wasn't for anxiety, though she'd always had problems with it. She learned to hide that well. This was something different, something she couldn't describe.

“It's not about that. Look, it's not a big deal, so can we drop it?”

The look Chloe gave her was clear. She wasn't going to drop it, and Rachel wasn't in the mood for another fight. Before Chloe could respond, Rachel cut in with more.

“It helps, okay? That's all that matters. I'm not some druggie looking for her next hit, if that's what you're worried about.” Rachel saw the conflicted look on Chloe's face, so she pulled out her trump card. “You trust me, right?”

That was it. Rachel could feel Chloe loosen her grip, and she pulled her arm free. She started walking toward the truck again, and Chloe followed close behind.

“Yeah, Rach. Of course I trust you. I just want you to be safe.”

“I know.” That was all she said. She didn't know what else she could. Chloe accepted it for now, but would she next time? Or the time after?

It occurred to Rachel that she already accepted that she wouldn't stop, even though she knew it wasn't healthy. But it was even less healthy to deal with life without them, so it all worked out in the end, right?

They reached the truck, and Chloe walked to the other side to hop into the driver's seat. Her parents were working today, so they'd probably head back to her place to hang out. That worked, Rachel could deal with that. But not how she was right now. She could feel the itch in the back of her brain again.

Chloe was fiddling with the radio, probably trying in vain to catch a solid signal. She really needed a new one. But the important thing was that she was distracted, so Rachel quickly pulled the bottle out of her pocket and popped the cap off. She dug a finger in to grab a pill, and the instant she caught a hold of one, she popped it into her mouth.

Trying to be quick, she put the cap back on and stuffed the bottle into her pocket again, ready to face the rest of the day. Unfortunately, when she looked back up at the truck, she saw Chloe looking directly at her, no longer bothering with the radio.

They stared at each other for several seconds, until Rachel made the move to get into the truck. Sliding in the seat, she buckled in and waited for the inevitable question.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chloe chewing on her lip, thinking over what to say. Eventually, she found her words.

“I think Joyce and stepdouche are out today. Want to come over and watch a movie or something?”

Rachel didn't let herself convey her surprise. If Chloe wasn't going to fight about it, she sure wasn't going to bring it up.

“Yeah. I'd love that.”

Chloe nodded and started up the truck. The gurgling of the engine was comforting to Rachel, and she could feel the soft haze of her pill taking effect. It was quick, she had to give it that.

They drove away from the beach in silence, something Rachel preferred. She loved Chloe, in her own way, but sometimes Rachel couldn't handle her. Everyone needed a break from everyone sometimes.

She leaned her head against the window and watched the town flow by, details blurred together as her eyes drifted out of focus. Finally, she could relax. Sometimes you had to pick between your sanity and your sobriety, and Rachel never regretted her decision.

-~-

Tuesday. Why did it always have to be a Tuesday? This goddamn storm made no sense. One day too early, suddenly there are two moons in the sky. One day late, all of downtown floods. Give it an entire week, however, and whatever force that fought tooth and nail to destroy Arcadia Bay became satisfied.

Regardless of the reason, at least it was consistent. That was the one thing Max could give the storm. It's rules were opaque and chaotic, but they were rules nonetheless. This consistency was the only thing that gave Max her unyielding hope that she might finally find a solution.

It was the last day of September, which meant that if Max didn't make the move today, she'd have to wait another week. That worked the very first time, but she'd rather not leave Chloe alone for too long then.

The night was as pitch-black as it was every other last day of September, but Max knew the way well enough. Down the sidewalk, past the statue to the front doors. Inside, she could see the dark halls leading to the classrooms where she had her lectures. On a whim, she pulled on the handle. Locked again, as expected.

She reached into her backpack and pulled out the small revolver she had stolen from Frank. He wouldn't notice it gone until Saturday, she knew, and by then it would be back without him any the wiser. If he noticed the missing bullets, he never made a fuss of it.

Max raised the weapon and shot a single bullet through one of the doors, sending a _crack_ resounding through the neighborhood as the glass shattered to the ground. She grabbed the towel from her bag, wrapped it around her arm to protect herself, and unlocked the door from the inside. In the distance, a dog barked, disturbed by the noise.

The door now open, Max walked through and rewound. Behind her, the glass reformed itself. She saw the bullet fly from where it had embedded itself down the hall and float outside the doors. Once Max was confident it wouldn't fire again, she released her power and let the bullet drop to the ground. She'd pick it up later.

The front office was right there, so no sense in waiting. Inside there was no need for the gun; instead Max pried a nearby fire extinguisher from its box and walked over to the secretary's door. Two solid smacks and she was in.

She repeated the process to get into Wells' office, and rewound the blaring alarm that whined when she did. She had done this enough times to have it down to a science, practically. Not that Max would have any trouble if she hadn't. Rewind powers tended to provide an overwhelming advantage to unexpected problems.

Max took a seat in the comfortable chair, briefly reminded of the memory of Chloe wanting to steal it. It _was_ a nice chair. Unfortunately, Max was here for something more important.

After a few seconds of rummaging around in the desk, Max came up with what she came for: An unsealed envelope containing $5,250 dollars. There was no need to count; it always had the same amount. She stuffed it into her bag and rewound until the drawer shut itself.

Max was done here. She walked out of the office, tripping the alarm again. Exiting was easier than entering; she didn't need to break anything else, and nothing stopped her from simply walking out. Back on the front steps, she reached down and scooped up the now-unshot bullet from earlier.

Loading it back into the gun, Max rewound one last time as she walked down the steps into the yard. From the outside, all anyone would have seen would be Max walking up to the double doors, then suddenly walking away through campus an instant later.

All in all, her little heist cost no time, no resources, and no risk. It was the perfect crime.

Unsurprised, but still glad that there were no issues, Max shouldered her backpack and made her way to the dorms to sleep. She'd need to get this money to Frank in the morning, and she would rather not deal with him without any rest.

On her way back, Max spotted a familiar building out of the corner of her eye, making her stop. It was the Blackwell pool, where she and Chloe had shared that daring swim. It wasn't a place Max frequented. In fact, in all the many timelines Max had traveled, she never had a reason to return. Maybe it was better that way, in a sense.

Most events had long since begun to blur together, her dozens of attempts muddying the details. That memory of her night in the pool with Chloe, however, was still pure. Max regretted that there wouldn't be a time to let them have that moment again, but that was okay. At least one of them still remembered.

Max tore her gaze from the building and continued her walk. Dwelling on things that no longer happened wouldn't help. All that mattered was finding a compromise that didn't leave everyone dead.

A sigh escaped Max's lips. She had the money now, and if things went well this time, the past would finally be behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another interlude, with one new PoV, depending on your definition.
> 
> Sorry for the incredible delay in getting this chapter out. I've found it difficult getting the will to write recently, and my classes certainly haven't helped. But don't worry! I am definitely still working on this as much as I can. I can feel the mystery tantalizing me.
> 
> So in acknowledgment of that, chapters will come as they do. And thanks once more for all the comments and observations. I love every one of you!
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Stay hella.


	17. Off My Chest/An Unfamiliar Memory

_"I know things have been crazy this week, but if everything goes well, I can explain it all."_

_Max paced rapidly in front of the bench where Chloe sat. She seemed more stressed than usual, and that was saying something. It didn't look like she got a single second of sleep the night before, and now she dragged both of them up to the lighthouse so early in the morning. Chloe wouldn't have done this if Max hadn't insisted that it was deadly important._

_"It's not that I don't want to tell you now. It's that I literally can't. And believe me, I've tried."_

_She wasn't making much sense, but Chloe saw that she meant it, whatever it was. Her eyes had thick bags under them, and every so often she would grimace and grab her head in pain. The first few times, Chloe had asked if she was okay. After the lack of response, she stopped mentioning it._

_"There's so much going on. More than you can believe."_

_Max stopped. She looked directly at Chloe, though her eyes drifted slightly in and out of focus._

_"You know I love you, right?"_

_Chloe smiled, glad for something she finally understood. "Of course I do."_

_"And I know it probably seems too early to be saying stuff like that. But it's true."_

_Before Chloe could respond, Max gasped. She turned away and looked out over the cliff, her body ramrod stiff. Chloe stood to watch her._

_"It's time..." Her eyes traced the horizon. Chloe couldn't tell if she was speaking to her or not. "It'll be okay. Stay strong," Max whispered, barely audible over the wind._

_A moment later, her body crumpled motionless to the ground._

-Final Timeline, October 11th

* * *

"So... You and Max, huh?"

Steph gave Chloe a side-eye glance as she drove down the highway. They left a couple of hours ago, and the sun was rising over the treeline. Chloe was settled in the passenger seat, lost in her mind watching the scenery roll by when Steph's question shook her out of her trance.

"Wassit?" She tore her gaze away from the trees to look at her. "Yeah. Me and Max. Again, in a weird sort of way, I guess."

"Does that bother you? That you had to go through that again, I mean. It must have been difficult watching her lose all her memories with you like that." Steph looked at her for a moment. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but from the way it sounds, you haven't really gotten the chance to talk about it.

"I'm really that lonely, aren't I?"

_Damn. Now that I think about it, I don't have that many friends anymore. Max, of course. Kate. And maybe Justin and Trevor._

Steph hummed. "That wasn't what I was going for. I _meant_ ," she shot a glance over, "that you tend to keep things bottled up way longer than you should. You're not a sharer, I get that. But I want you to know I'm always here to listen. And what better time now that we're locked in here together for at least another dozen hours? I won't judge."

Chloe thought it over. It was a complicated situation, one that she definitely hadn't handled well. Still, there was something about it all that felt odd, even considering everything. She had left out the whole _my girlfriend has time travel powers_ part of the story when filling her in, but Steph knew everything else.

"I don't know," Chloe began, trying to find the words. "Like, she only knows me for a couple of weeks, and I come out and tell her I love her. I mean, I do, but that's a little much that soon. But then she wanted to date me anyway."

"You're upset that she felt the same way about you?"

"I... guess? It doesn't make sense to me. I mean, I'm glad it worked out, but I don't want her to feel like she should try to like me because I'm there, you know?"

Steph thought for a moment. "Well, from what I saw this morning, she really cares about you. If she wanted to be with you because she felt obligated to, I don't think she would've acted like that. It seems like she really wants to be around you."

"And then literally two days after she gives me a chance, I leave town. What kind of girlfriend am I?"

"One who needs closure. I honestly think this will help. We can find Rachel, she can try to explain herself, you can tell her what a bitch she is, and you can go home and be happy with your new girlfriend. I agree the timing is awkward, but don't downplay your own issues like that. No one will blame you for needing this."

Chloe didn't answer at first. She turned to look back out the window as she considered what to say. This was difficult. It felt like nothing she said was exactly what she meant, and if she only had the perfect words, Steph would understand.

"Do you think I'm a bad friend?" She internally cringed at the question. _Stupid! Why would you ask that?_

Steph raised an eyebrow. "Of course not. I'm still here, and I think you're pretty cool."

"It's just... we've hardly talked for the past couple years, and now this is the first time I've seen you since you left, and we're on our way to LA. I realized that I don't really have any other friends nowadays, because I've pushed them all away. First you, because I didn't reach out as much as I could. I wasn't good enough for Rachel. I didn't help Max when I should have. Maybe I'm the problem."

"Chloe." Steph's voice was stern. "You can't keep thinking like that. None of that was your fault. We drifted apart, it happens. But now we're here together. Rachel had her own problems, even I knew that. And there is no way you're to blame for what happened to Max. You said it was some sort of stroke. You did all you could for her."

She made good points, but that was only because Chloe made her own poorly. She knew logically that Max's memory loss wasn't her fault, but that didn't mean she was free of blame.

Steph continued. "I regret not keeping up with your life more. Back then, I knew I should have, especially after you told me that Rachel left. Life has been hard to you, and honestly, I've been worried."

Chloe's instinct was to lash out with a _there's nothing to be worried about_ , but that wasn't true, was it? Steph had every reason to be worried about her. Wasn't that what friends were for? The more she thought about it, the more she realized how much she was like Kate, in so much pain but refusing to let anyone know. She'd have to remember to text her and make plans to hang out when she got back.

"Yeah. I guess I haven't been doing so well for the past few months. Longer than that if you really want to get into it. It was worst while Max was in the hospital, though." It reminded her of the dull ache of the scars on her side. "It's been rough. Now that she's back she's been helping me through it, but it's not the kind of thing you just make better with a single conversation, you know?"

"I get it. I used to feel that way too sometimes. I haven't gotten over my problems, and I don't think I ever will, but they get easier, I can promise you that." She let the words sit for a moment. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

The thought of telling another soul about the cuts or the bruises sent Chloe's heart racing. Max knowing was hard enough, but Steph was too much.

Chloe shook her head. She was still looking out the window. "I don't think I can right now."

"I understand." Steph nodded. "If you ever change your mind, I'm always happy to listen. And I know Max would be too."

Chloe didn't respond; she felt the conversation had reached its end. Though she wasn't entirely happy with the way she had put things, talking had helped put things into perspective. Soft rock tunes reverberated from the car speakers while she thought to herself. They would ride in silence for a little while longer until they had to stop for the bathroom or to change drivers.

As they barreled down the highway, though they had just left, Chloe already wanted the trip to be over and done with, explanations heard and closure earned. The anticipation of seeing Rachel again brought up so many unnameable feelings. But above all of them, she missed Max, and distracted herself by wondering what exactly her girlfriend was up to back in Arcadia Bay.

-~-

Max blinked away the now-expected white spots in her vision and watched the world fade into focus. In her hand, held out in front and turned toward herself, was a tan and brown instant camera. She didn't immediately recognize it, but hadn't Chloe said she had one at some point? This must have been what she meant.

The camera made a soft whirring sound, and a Polaroid slid out of the slot on the front. It was the same picture she had traveled into, so she stuffed it into her pocket for safekeeping, pushing aside a marker she found inside. She didn't want to think about what would happen if she lost it.

Figuring the smart idea would be to get her bearings before making any moves and possibly ruining the past, she looped the camera back around her neck and inspected the scene. As she expected, she was in one of the Blackwell hallways, right outside of her photography classroom and her locker. It was between classes at the moment, and students filled the place chatting, grabbing supplies, and moving to wherever they had class next.

There were one or two people she didn't recognize, but most of them she could at least place their faces. There was Daniel being shoved into a locker by some boy Max didn't know, Victoria loudly complaining about another girl's clothes, pointedly loud enough for her to hear, and Kate over by her locker, slowly putting her books inside.

Max knew she couldn't stand around and wait forever. Soon enough, her power would push her back to the present. Figuring that she should spend her time in the past trying to discover more about Old Max, talking to Kate seemed like an easy start.

As Max walked up to Kate closing her locker and shouldering her bag once more, she quickly considered the best way to handle this. From what she remembered, Kate had told her they met on the first day of classes and had become fast friends. They had become closer over the weeks until the night of Kate's drugging at a party.

She considered the possibility of warning Kate not to go, or making some other drastic move to help people—that's what you're supposed to do with time travel, right?—but Chloe's warnings echoed in her mind. Even visiting the past like this was wrong, and if Chloe knew what she was doing, she would panic and tell her off. Max needed to get through this photograph without changing anything at all, else she return to a present completely different from what she remembered.

That led her to think of the note written on the photo. Now that she thought about it, they were probably instructions. A creeping horror began to crawl through her body as she realized that she had jumped through with precisely zero idea of their meaning. Which meant she couldn't possibly do exactly what Old Max did originally. Which meant that when she returned, everyone would change. Which meant-

"Hey... Max?"

Kate's voice knocked Max out of her thoughts. How long had she been standing in the middle of the hallway behind Kate?

"Are you okay? You seem a little flushed." Kate stepped closer and lightly touched Max's arm. "Do you need to see the nurse?"

"Oh. No, sorry." Max pulled her arm away and rubbed the back of her head. "I was a little lost in thought. How are you doing?"

"Really well today, actually. I've been getting ahead on my homework, and I think I have a great idea for our first Photography project. Once I have something to show, I can let you see, if you’re interested."

"Thanks," Max said. "I'd like that. But can I ask you a strange question really quick?"

"Of course. What's on your mind?"

"Have you seen any..." Max didn't know the best way to put it. She couldn't ask if Kate had seen any time travel, and she wasn't sure exactly what she was looking for, anyway. "...odd things going on? With me or anyone else?"

Kate thought it over for a moment, then shook her head. "Sorry, Max. I couldn't say that I have. But if I see anything, I'll be sure to let you know."

"Oh. Well, thanks anyway. Sorry for being weird."

"You aren't being weird," Kate said with a smile. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here to listen. You can always text me too if you prefer."

The irony of the situation wasn't lost on Max. Kate was such a wonderful friend, and it tore Max up inside to know what would happen to her.

"Thanks, Kate. I'll keep that in mind."

Kate turned and spun the dial on her locker, making sure it was properly closed. "Sorry to cut things so short, but I need to use the little girl's room before lab. I'll see you in class, okay?"

With a small wave that Max returned, she was gone down the hallway, carefully weaving between the groups of people loitering by the rows of lockers. Max saw her give a soft _hello_ to the janitor whose name Max didn't know as she entered the bathroom.

Immediately, Max noticed that the doors of the girl's bathroom and the attached wall appeared to be shining a dull off-white color, and the shine slowly crept along the floor in a harsh red burn. It wasn't quick, but anything and anyone outside of that advancing wall was out of Max's sight. It reminded Max of when she traveled through her first photo, and everything outside of the truck was that same strange void that enveloped her.

Max didn't have much time before the wall reached her, and she suspected that she would jump back when it did. Once she returned to the present, her time here would be permanent, and she didn't know what she would find.

Unfortunately, asking Kate had been less than helpful, but as Max stepped back to her locker, she caught the eye of someone familiar and friendly walking through the boundary of the void. Someone who might have a better idea.

"Warren!" She stuck her hand up and called to him.

Warren ducked around a flailing arm from an animated student and did a double-take when he spotted Max looking in his direction. He glanced behind himself to make sure there was no one behind that she could have been staring at, then quickly strode over to where she was standing.

"Oh! Uh, hi Max," He kept several feet away and crossed his arms as he spoke. "I mean, your name's Max, right? I know we haven't really..." he trailed off before continuing. "Do you need something?"

Max knew that she and Warren hadn't been friends before her time in the hospital, and Old Max had been incredibly rude, from how Brooke described it. She hoped they hadn't gotten to the worst of it yet.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. And to ask you something, if it isn't too much trouble."

Warren furrowed his brow at the question, confusion clear in his face. "No offense, but we don't really know each other that well. I'm... fine, I suppose." He shrugged his shoulders. "Ask away, I guess."

"Have you seen anything strange going on around Blackwell? Or anything weird around me specifically?"

"You mean weirder than you're being right now? Because this is the first time you've ever actually talked to me, so I don't know how you expect me to judge that."

He had a point. Even in the present, things were occasionally strenuous between them. Now, before Max had ever apologized, it was understandable that he wouldn't be as much help as she had hoped.

"Look," he continued. "I've got to get to History, so if you don't have anything else, I really need to go." He glanced down the hallway, preparing to go, but stopped himself. "I know it can be kind of stressful, being somewhere new and all, but if you want help getting to know people or whatever, why don't you come sit with me and my friends during lunch tomorrow? I don't know if you know this, but the way you've treated people, especially some of the faculty, haven't put you in the best light."

He pursed his lips, thinking if there was anything else he wanted to add. After a moment, he nodded and turned to leave, not even waiting for a response.

Max was annoyed. Not at Warren or Kate, but herself. She had jumped through the photo with zero planning, and now she was running out of time to figure it out. The wall of void had shrunk her visible area to the portion of the hallway from the entrance to her Photography class to barely past her locker.

If Max had to guess, she only had a few minutes left. This photojump was thankfully longer than her last one, but it wouldn't do her much good if she couldn't learn anything from it.

"Max, I need to speak with you before we begin."

She turned to the unfamiliar voice speaking to her. Standing outside the doorway of her photography class was a tall handsome man in glasses. It took Max several seconds to place him, but when she did, her blood froze.

The pictures of Mark Jefferson she had seen online didn't do him justice. Maybe it was because she knew the truth, one that no one in this reality would learn for another month, but she spotted a glint of something terrible in his eyes and the way he seemed to stalk toward her. The students bunched in his way broke apart and walked away into the void as he lightly chided them to get to class.

"Max," he began, his voice smooth and sweet in a way that would be disarming, but only served to creep her out. "I'm glad we finally have a moment to speak, since you never showed yesterday after I asked you to come by my office."

He casually leaned against the row of lockers with his arm crossed. The way he towered over Max made her heart race. "Do you know what Benjamin Franklin says about learning?"

"...no," was all Max could eke out. She needed to get away from this man, but there was nowhere to go. In fact, now within the boundary of this photo, it was only her and Jefferson.

"He says, 'An investment in knowledge pays the best interest'. Do you understand what that means?"

Max silently nodded her head. Her only comfort was that she knew Jefferson wouldn’t end up doing anything to her before being arrested, let alone here and now in the middle of the day. Though every time she tried to think that way to calm herself down, she was reminded of Stella's grave and how he was the man who put her there.

"It means that I want to work with you, Max. Tell me what I can do to make you more comfortable in my class. I understand you have certain requirements for learning, and I have gone above and beyond to accommodate you, but this doesn't work if you don't try. You have the capability. It's clear you have talent; your portfolio is masterful. But please, talk to me."

Max didn't want to. She didn't want to be anywhere in the same building as this murderer, especially when he tried to act like her friend. This was the first time she had ever met him, and even that was too much. Fortunately, the familiar white spots on the edge of her vision began to appear, telling her she wouldn't have to stand him much longer. It was her one point of comfort.

"Don't ignore me, Max. I want to help." He stepped closer as he spoke, staying carefully on the inside of the barrier he couldn't see. Max tried to ignore him. She closed her eyes in an attempt to buy time before she jumped back to safety, but he kept talking in meaningless sounds that she attempted to tune out. No matter how much she tried to silently will him away he wouldn't-

" _Shut up!_ "

Every roaring emotion she felt at that moment spat itself out at Jefferson. She opened her eyes and watched him recoil as if struck by the vitriol in those two words, and the shocked expression on his face gave her a smug sense of satisfaction. She didn't have long to savor it, because on reaction, Jefferson stepped back—directly through the encroaching wall.

She presumed he responded with some incredulous quip, or loudly gave her detention or sent her to the principal's office, but Max didn't care. Beyond that wall, Jefferson might as well not exist.

The spots had been slowly growing in her sight for the past minute, and she knew it was time to leave. She didn't know why the edge of her power shrunk this time, or why it had ended in a small several-foot circle around her, but she didn't care. What mattered now was returning to the present, and if things weren't _exactly_ how she left them, fixing it.

The last hints of color in the lockers and floor around her faded away, until all was pure white.

-~-

Chloe still hadn't stopped thinking about their conversation. They had talked about other things, but her mind was still stuck on what Steph had said. Something felt off, and if she was being honest with herself, it had been for months, ever since Max reconnected.

The new Max she had met, the one she had now-regretfully dubbed Old Max _—they're the same person, idiot—_ was a far cry from the shy girl Chloe had known. Back then, she had been so easily wowed by simple things, and always loved Chloe's company. But after she came back, it was as if she always had something else on her mind. She had been constantly distracted, but would never say by what.

This newer Max, however, was more like her old friend. She seemed confused and lost, but after a little explanation, accepted their friendship readily. Chloe found it hard not to think she was taking advantage of her, though she couldn't say exactly how.

Maybe it was the speed of it all. Old Max was back for three days, and they already slept together. They never made anything official, for what it meant, because two days later it was as if she no longer existed. New Max knew Chloe for a couple of weeks, Chloe handled it literally the worst way possible, and she still wanted to date?

She thought about asking Steph for her opinion— _Can't you think for yourself?_ —but decided against it. She was humming to the radio in the driver's seat, and it seemed wrong to bring up her own problems again. Steph would say she didn't mind, but Chloe would, in her own twisted sense. Instead, she let her thoughts rage in silence.

It didn't help.

-~-

Around Max, there was nothing but piercing white. She expected to be pulled back to the present, back to her room, where she could take a minute to recuperate. But she went nowhere.

Panic gripped her. Why wasn't she returning? Was she stuck? The white was so enveloping that she couldn't even see her own body. Opening and closing her eyes made no difference, it was all that blinding lack of color.

On instinct, she raised her hand and tried to summon her power, hoping that it would free her from this prison. The moment she called upon her rewind, she felt something... fighting her? By now, rewinding had become second nature, but this was different.

_No you don't._

Something that sounded like it might be a voice crossed through her mind, but it was too faint to register.

She gripped her power with everything she had, focusing on the one thing that might save her. The force didn't relent. Max couldn't guess how long their fight went, with no way to tell time in the void. There was always the possibility that she hadn't traveled anywhere, and outside of the void the people that existed were watching her fight with an invisible enemy.

But that didn't matter in this moment outside of moments. Everything Max had, she put into forcing her power through, thinking if she failed, she might be stuck forever. Eventually, she was at her limit, and whatever was holding her back kept fighting. It was too much.

Max felt that little _something_ within her break. Whatever part of her was the essence of her power shattered into a million pieces and swirled within her body. Though she had only had the power for a few weeks, losing its solid form to call on staggered her.

She was out of breath, exhausted and feeling as though she had run a marathon. Still trying to steady herself, she saw spots of black and gray coalesce from the void. More and more appeared as they grew larger and revealed the hallway once more.

The surrounding scene was in the black and white of her rewind, and she saw students walking backward, away from their impending classes. There was no boundary now, so she could see Kate walk backward from the restroom to chat with the echo of her past self. Their conversation ended—or rather, began—and Kate turned back to her open locker to unload her books.

Everything rewound until the instant that Max had jumped through the photo, when the world around her slightly shifted. Color hadn't completely returned, but everything was no longer black and white, only heavily saturated.

Before she could pin down what else had changed, a searing spike of pain drove itself through the front of her skull. It was over quickly, but the suddenness combined with her weariness from wrestling with her power knocked her to her hands and knees.

Drops of blood dripped onto the ground, the crimson bright and pointed against the muted tones of the world, as everything began to move forward once more.

Max struggled to her feet, feeling sore in every joint she moved. When she finally stood, her stance was wobbly, but she could stay up on her own. The students spoke as normal, and the same scenes played out as before.

Movement behind Max caught her eye, though. Standing in front of her locker, exactly where she had first arrived, was another version of herself. This other Max held the camera in front of her and grabbed the picture as it slid out. She gave it a quick shake, a glance and a nod, then turned back to open her locker.

Max was standing directly in front of her, but her gaze slid past her without a hint of notice. In fact, no one noticed Max, or was even the slightest bit surprised that there were two of her in the hallway. She stuck out a hand to stop a passing student, but her arm went straight through them. It was exactly like when she rewound; she couldn't interact with the world.

At the locker, the other Max turned back to take stock of people in the hallway. In her hand was the familiar black phone, the one Chloe had found in the junkyard. Without looking, she stuffed it and the photograph into her pocket. This close, Max could see her other self take a deep breath and whisper under her breath.

"One last time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the support everyone. Sometimes it's difficult to write, but I do, eventually. I hope the wait ends up being worth it.
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	18. From Another Angle

_She perceived that which had happened, was happening, and never happened all at once. Her sight did not provide this power, nor did any physical sense she could describe if asked. Whatever force or greater being, if any, allowed her this ability was unknown to her, and she doubted she would ever learn in full._

_If this force was sentient, was it also benevolent? Or did it provide all of this for some nefarious purpose that would only become apparent when it was too late? If she were ever to meet it, she could not say whether she would thank it or damn it, as for all the good it had done, it was also the catalyst for far worse._

_It reached beyond her own body, that much she was sure. Tornadoes and vortexes and floods and earthquakes that both did and didn't exist, in these particular senses, were not natural. All that had been done to avoid these outcomes was specific, and now another piece was in play._

_She had hoped that everything would continue, and they would move past her mistakes and compromises. That hadn't happened. Lack of understanding only led to curiosity, but couldn't they just accept things as they were? Nothing they could do would make anything better, by their measure._

_There was always a time and a place for change, but this wasn't one. Certain events had to stay as they were, regardless of their immediate outcomes._

_In thought, she sighed, and the sound traveled to the ends of time. Regret was the first emotion she learned to ignore, though even now it bubbled in the pit of her stomach as a testament to her lack of control._

_Max would have her choice soon, she knew. She only hoped there was a right one this time._

—???

* * *

Max was lost, and she didn't have a plan to find her way back. She was trapped in the past without her powers and unable to interact with the world. All she could do was watch as Old Max lived her life, as long as she stayed within the bounds of the photojump.

On that thought, Max looked away from her older self to look for where the edge was, and to her surprise, could not find it. She could see to the ends of the hall and across past the bathrooms, farther than before. Something had changed in this muted world. All the past was open to her, which was fortunate, though she had no need to go anywhere when her goal was right beside her.

A tingling sensation enveloped Max as Old Max passed straight through her toward the bathrooms where the janitor was silently cleaning. She followed, taking care to avoid people; even if they couldn't feel her, that strange feeling of her spirit colliding with someone left her unsettled.

Seeing Old Max maneuver through the hall, deftly dodging flailing arms and bodies, almost made Max see her as someone different. She didn't move with her head down and arms crossed, but tall and forward in a way she could never see herself. It was the same body, true, yet she seemed more confident in her movements.

Was this a part of her she had lost? All those years she couldn't remember, maybe they had allowed her to come out of her shell.

At the entrance to the bathrooms, Old Max stopped to speak to the janitor. Max leaned against a nearby wall— _I can only move through people? Guess I'm not a proper ghost—_ so she could listen in.

"Hi there, Samuel." _That was his name!_ "How are the squirrels today?"

Samuel ceased his sweeping and leaned on his broom. The look on his face was almost something like mild confusion, in a way. "Well, good morning, Young Max. Though that name isn't quite yours anymore, is it? You ask Old Samuel about the squirrels every day, and every day you hear their smiles and their dreams. The creatures know you can listen too, so why do you visit a lonely janitor?"

"I want to know what you think. That's all." She let a soft smile play on her lips. "You listen closer than many people believe, and I still haven't figured you out."

The confusion on Samuel's face only grew. "These words you say don't make much sense to Samuel, but that's alright. Everyone loves in their own special way. To answer your question, most of the squirrels are happy today. One dreamed of rain, like a bath."

Kate passed by as they spoke, headed into the girl's restroom.

"Thanks a bunch, Samuel. You've helped more than you know."

"Watch yourself, Young Max. Some messes can't be swept away. We would hate to see you fall." His words were soft, and his face had fallen down toward the debris he had been cleaning. There was a sparkle in his eyes for the barest second before he returned to his job, sweeping his broom once again. Old Max had already walked away.

She walked with purpose back into the hallway she began in, pulling out the mysterious black phone, and Max followed close behind. Over her shoulder, Max saw a text arrive, but Old Max swiped it away before she could read it. There was only a few minutes left until class began, and Old Max seemed to be in no rush. She waited.

Max walked around in front of her to follow where her gaze lay and saw that it was locked on the Photography classroom. Jefferson was finishing up his lesson, and Max hoped he wouldn't corner her again. Though, thinking back on the note and the probable identity of 'J', she feared he would.

Max considered what else was predicted to happen. 'S' was obviously Samuel, whom Old Max asked about the squirrels. The meaning of the question wasn't clear, but she wouldn't let herself forget it. Any clue might be important.

Next was 'Get W+B and W off back'. 'B' could be several people, but she expected that 'W' was the boy currently awkwardly shuffling over to Old Max from behind. She only now realized that he had been standing behind Old Max for about half a minute now, not yet starting a conversation.

He wrung his hands together, hesitating before he finally gathered the courage to tap on Old Max's shoulder. Immediately he stepped back several paces, leaving plenty of room between the two. Max saw her other self's lips draw together in a cryptic expression before she turned around to face him.

Old Max said nothing, waiting for Warren to find his words.

"Uh... Hi there, Max. I just, um, wanted to say hi again. I feel like we got off on the wrong foot last time. You were probably in a bad mood. That time of the..." He trailed off and quickly shut his mouth before finishing that poorly thought sentence.

Old Max's response was short and terse. "Do you need something?"

"Um... I guess I wanted to chat. I saw that you like nerdy stuff. Doctor Who, anime, stuff like that. You had some stickers on your things. Not like I paid that much attention or anything." Old Max was looking straight at him, and he couldn't return the eye contact. "But yeah. Anyway. My friends and I were talking and we wanted to know if you'd like to sit with us during lunch tomorrow. It's hard meeting new people, I know, when you've moved places. You seem cool, is all I'm saying."

He had stuffed his hands into his pockets and twisted as he spoke. His body couldn't seem to stay still under the pressure of Old Max's gaze. She waited several seconds before she responded.

"Warren. Leave me alone."

Her face had etched itself into a mask of anger, though something about it struck Max as odd, and Warren's movement stopped as he looked at her in surprise. "What...?"

"I'm not a nerd. I don't care about any of that stuff. I don't care about making friends or what people think of me. I know what you want, and you need to take the hint that you aren't getting it from me."

"Uh-" Warren tried to speak up, but shrunk under Old Max's words.

"You should spend that energy on Brooke, because at least she'll give you the time of day. I don't want to be your friend or anything else, Warren. So I'll say this one last time. Leave. Me. The. Fuck. Alone." She punctuated those final words with a sharp finger into Warren's chest.

The look of surprise had stuck itself as he processed everything she said. Even Max herself could barely believe she had said those things. Brooke had mentioned that Max had turned him away in anger, but still the _directness_ surprised her. This wasn't even the only time they had had this conversation. What had Warren done that deserved such a response?

Apparently Warren couldn't formulate a reply. He stood stunned until he regained his senses enough to pull away from Old Max's finger. His jaw swung open and closed like a fish, as if he wanted to say something, but if he could have managed it he chose not to. He only turned and walked away. He tripped on his feet once in his rush, but left the hall without looking back.

Once Warren was well out of eyesight, Old Max let her anger drop. It all came out in a sigh as she leaned against the row of lockers. She continued staring toward where he had left, and Max wasn't sure, but she could almost swear she saw sadness in her eyes.

The ringing of the bell signaling the start of class snapped them both out of their watching. Max knew what to expect next, and right on time, Mark Jefferson marched over to where they were waiting. He had that same glint in his eyes that struck her full of terror, though she found it easier to compose herself when it wasn't directed at herself.

Old Max didn't seem to have any such care, however. Her face fell into a dull stare of boredness as Jefferson grabbed her attention.

"Max, I need to speak with you before we begin." The same words as he closed the distance. By now, all the other students had filed into class, so it was only the three of them. "Max, I'm finally glad we have a moment to speak, since you never showed yesterday after I asked you to come by my office." The odd, out-of-place repetition of her name sent a shiver down her spine.

Instead of continuing into his pretentious Benjamin Franklin quote, Old Max interrupted. "I was busy." Three words, as if she simply didn't care to explain with more.

"Too busy for your education? I know you're smarter than that, Max." Her name again, unnecessarily. "I want to work with you, but it's difficult if you don't put forth the effort too. It's clear you have talent, so please talk with me."

"Nah." A single word, and Old Max's face still held no expression.

"Nah? This isn't a situation where you respond _nah_. This is your future at stake here. But if this is truly how you feel, then I'm afraid that I've done all I can. Principal Wells will hear of this, and he won't be happy."

"I don't think Wells will care, honestly. It's the same reason he hasn't done anything to Nathan either. Information is power, Mark."

"What?" Jefferson pulled back at the comment and Old Max's blatant disrespectful use of his first name. "You and Nathan seem to have something against me. You must know something about why he's been avoiding me."

"He's a busy boy. Far more important things to do than _personal photos_." The way Old Max said those last two words held some hidden meaning that Max couldn't divine. Regardless, Jefferson seemed to catch on to what she meant, because his face went momentarily white.

He played it off quickly and relaxed, unconsciously taking another step back. "I see. I've kept you too long, I feel. We had best get in before the rest of the students get restless." He turned to head back to the classroom, but Old Max didn't follow.

"I've got better things to do."

Jefferson opened his mouth as if to say something, but stopped himself. His next words came out slowly and carefully. "This isn't the last time we will be speaking of this, Max."

"I know," was all she said, and it was enough to send Jefferson back to settle down his class without another word.

The photojump would end soon, if things were going the same as last time. Though that didn't seem to be a guarantee, given how little Max knew about anything. More surprises were only to be expected at this point.

Now that Old Max was all alone in the hallway, she walked over to her locker and pulled out that black phone again. With a practiced motion, she opened it directly to the messaging app. Max hovered invisibly over her shoulder to read.

The open conversation only had a single message.

_**Sean Prescott** : Who are you and what do you want? I don't appreciate you threatening my son or any other member of my family. I am a very powerful man, and if I find out who you are, I will make sure you regret it. _

Old Max rapidly typed out a response on the tiny keyboard.

_**Me** : Don't bother looking for me. It won't work. Nathan will not be hurt, I can promise you that. You and I both know that he knows more than he lets on, and when that comes out, you don't have to be caught in it, so long as you follow my instructions to the letter. _

So Old Max was threatening Nathan's dad because of something Nathan knew. If it was serious enough that she would do something like this, it had to be important. That gave her a lead, at least.

Old Max hit send and immediately deleted both messages while her other hand moved to open her locker. There was an urgency in her movements now that wasn't there a minute ago. She carelessly tossed the phone in and dug into her pocket for the photo of herself and the marker beside it. Holding the photo against the inside of the locker, she quickly scribbled the note that Max recognized from the future.

The instant she finished the final word, both the photo and marker flew inside as she slammed it shut. Her hands went to head, over her eyes as if to block her vision, and Max could see her body shake slightly as a soft whine escaped her lips. Something was wrong.

Events had moved past where Max had reached, and she still could do nothing. A drop of crimson blood fell from Old Max's nose as she stood there with her hands over her eyes. She made no more noise, and her body was as stiff as a steel rod.

Then suddenly, she stopped. Her body froze for a moment until she removed her hands from her head. She rapidly blinked in confusion and seemed to not entirely know where she was. A finger went to her nose, and she was surprised to see the tip red with blood. She shook her head and absently wiped it away on her jeans.

Max didn't know what just happened, but it wasn't normal. Old Max seemed to be alright now, at least. Her apparent confusion, however, seemed odd. _As if this entire situation wasn't_.

In the corner of her mind, Max suddenly felt a rush of energy through her ethereal body. It began at her head and raced down her spine before darting into her hands. At first, it frightened her with its unexpectedness, until she realized what exactly it was.

Her power had returned. That force that had been holding her back was gone and once more she had all of reality at her fingertips. With everything within her control once more, she felt that familiar pressure of her power being used from within her.

So she stopped it. On some instinctual level she knew something had trapped her in a fast-forward, and all it took to end it was a raise of her hand. The world saturated itself once again, and she clearly saw once again the blue of the lockers, the off-white of the floor, and the dark crimson and gray of the _Go Bigfoots!_ banner above her. Notably, there was no white barrier blocking the world anymore, even though she was no longer in the psuedo fast-forward. Either it disappeared when the force pulled her back again, or she had somehow escaped it.

The world was normal, at least at first glance. Max felt a pressure in her head build and a strange, new itch in her hand that wasn't there before. Her power begged to be used. It begged in a way it never had before.

Max considered her options. She had already witnessed all that the note predicted, but there was no guarantee something else important wouldn't happen. She had already been bailed out once from making a mistake and ruining her timeline.

If she would return to the future, she might as well get everything out of this she could while she was still here. With a quick hand, she opened her locker and pulled out the phone, careful not to disturb the photo or anything else within.

A look within yielded nothing of note. There were no saved messages in the messaging app, and _Fastsync_ held nothing new. Only the same few messages that she had seen before, less the ones from people after her accident.

Her proper phone was likely in her bag, but Max didn't want to overstay her welcome. It wouldn't hold anything different, if this _Fastsync_ did what it was designed to do. Though that still raised an odd question. Why would Max have a separate phone, apparently for threatening Nathan's dad, but still remotely copy her own phone's data onto it? If someone found this one, it wouldn't take much effort to figure out she was the owner.

This phone would also end up hidden in the junkyard at some point, which was still something she didn't understand. Every time she thought she learned something new about Old Max, something else made little sense. There was something she was missing, she was sure of it.

The itch continued to bother her, scratching at the back of her mind as a constant stress. She felt as if she could push it aside and stay if she tried, but the longer she remained the greater the risk of ruining everything. Old Max might lose the few minutes that Max was here, but hopefully it wouldn't cause any problems.

Confident that she was ready to leave, Max set everything back how it was and positioned herself where Old Max had been standing. She raised her hand to satisfy that itch, and relief flooded through her as she felt her consciousness pulled forward, back to her present.

-~-

Max snapped back into herself exactly where she had been before she jumped. The shock of returning knocked her over as a tense snap, like a rubber band, echoed through her head. Luckily she was on her bed and fell safely, but it took several moments for the world to focus.

This return was harsher than the last one, but other than that, everything seemed to be alright. She dug around in her pocket for her phone, noticing that her fingertips were slightly numb, to check the time.

Only around fifteen minutes had passed, which lined up with how much time she had spent back there. Chloe had mentioned that's how it worked, but it was nice to have confirmation.

Speaking of Chloe, Max debated if she should tell her about her trip. Everything had turned out fine, so it appeared at first glance, and she learned a lot more about how her powers worked. If she had to make a hypothesis, as Mrs. Grant would recommend, fast-forwarding allowed her to avoid being pulled back through a photo. With enough willpower to resist that itch that wanted her to return, she could stay in the past.

If she was right, this was a game changer. She could finally explore the past further than the boundary of the photos.

But Chloe wouldn't approve. She never told Max about her photojumping power because it was too dangerous. That didn't apply anymore, though, did it? A simple jump back when she was finished followed by a rewind would leave everything just as she left it, with no risk of changing anything. It was risk-free information.

Max resolved herself. Chloe didn't have to know. If she did, Max had little doubt she would convince Steph to turn around and bring her back to scold Max for ruining everything. Chloe needed to know what happened to Rachel as much as Max needed to know what happened before her accident, she justified to herself.

Her trip back didn't give her all the answers she needed, but it gave her a solid lead. Nathan knew something important, and it involved Max.

She opened her texts and composed a short message.

_**Me** : Nathan, we need to talk. In person. It's urgent. _

She set her phone down, only to immediately feel the buzz of a response.

_**Error** : Your message could not be sent. Please try again later. _

That wasn't good. Victoria had said he wasn't answering his texts, but if he wasn't even receiving them, that was a bigger problem.

Max checked the time again. There was still awhile before her first class, which meant there was plenty of time to go ask. She wasn't hopeful that he had returned, but it was the only lead she had right now.

Outside in the hallway, the dorms were only just beginning to come to life. It was a far cry from the bustle between classes she had left. The morning was always much calmer; no screams, no stress, no worries. People tend to find themselves too busy preparing for each long day ahead to take notice, but Max did. The sunrise was second only to the sunset in its beauty.

Max spied Brooke turning toward the bathroom with shower supplies in her hand, and Dana followed right behind, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Dana gave Max a small wave as she passed.

Pushing the constant slight headache out of her mind as best she could, Max wandered over to Victoria's dorm. Her whiteboard was blank today. Knowing Victoria, Max would bet that it would have some inspirational quote written before long.

Victoria was hopefully at least awake by now. She seemed like the person to be an early bird, spending hours getting her outfit exactly perfect. Max couldn't imagine spending so much time every day; her minimal makeup and wardrobe worked well enough for her. Hipster-chic, as they called it.

Two swift knocks on Victoria's door and then Max listened for movement within. Almost immediately she heard the shuffle of someone inside coming to answer.

"Seriously? Who the hell is it? I swear to god Courtney, if you-" The door swung open, revealing Victoria dressed in a long purple bathrobe, her makeup unfinished. Her eyebrows were drawn together in annoyance, but she relaxed them when she saw it was only Max. "Oh, hey. Sorry about that. Thought you were someone else."

"It's no problem," Max said. "I just wanted to ask if you've heard anything from Nathan. I wanted to talk to him."

Victoria drew her mouth into a tight frown. "No, I haven't." She thought for a moment. "Come on in, if you want."

She stepped aside to let Max inside and closed the door behind her. She sat in front of her vanity, where rows of makeup supplies were neatly ordered on top. From Max's uneducated eye, they seemed expensive. Victoria put a lot of effort into her appearance, and it showed.

The rest of her room was neat and organized. A stack of Vortex Club flyers on the nightstand, books carefully lined on the shelf on her desk, and family photos placed for in neat rows. Above her bed were three large posters of herself in different outfits, the middle one herself in a bikini. Her self-confidence astounded Max.

"I said," Victoria's voice knocked Max out of her investigation. She had started speaking and Max hadn't noticed. "What's so urgent that you need to talk to him so badly? Maybe I could help you out."

Max caught Victoria's eyes reflected in her mirror as she tried to come up with an excuse. "It's something... personal. I don't think I should say."

Victoria humphed in response. "Really? I thought he told me everything, but I guess not. He never talks about you, you know that? But apparently, you and he are best friends now or something."

"I'm sorry if you think I've been taking him away from you. I don't remember why he's been like that. Ever since I woke up in the hospital, I've only talked to him once, and even that wasn't that long."

Victoria set her brush down and sighed. "Sorry, Max. I didn't mean to imply anything like that. I know you're still trying to get your bearings with everyone, and I don't want you to think I'm some bitch for something that's probably not even a big deal." She spun her chair around to look up at Max and said nothing for several moments. "I'm just worried about him."

Max understood how she felt. Nathan seemed like a very unpredictable person, and she could imagine how hard that must be on Victoria. And herself, if she meant as much to him as Victoria made it seem.

"What happened that made him leave? You said it was at the party we missed, right?"

Victoria nodded. "At first, he was upset that you and your friend didn't show. He seemed so confident that you would be there. We eventually got him to calm down after we put a few drinks in him, so things were good for a while. Then a bit later, he starts saying some uncomfortable things. He's usually pretty calm when he's drunk or high but this wasn't like that."

She paused to wipe something out of her eye, careful not to ruin her unfinished makeup. "He said some things he didn't mean, got very angry at everyone, and generally kind of ruined the mood. It wasn't nice for anyone." Another rub at her eye, and this time Max noticed her breathing became heavier, like she was holding trying to hold back tears.

"But he wouldn't stop. He moved from harsh and depressed to complete anger, saying that 'nothing was right' and 'everything was going wrong so it didn't matter', and that's when Justin stepped in. It quickly got violent. We tried to stop the both of them but Nathan wouldn't have it. Afterwards, he walked out, and that was the last we saw of him."

Victoria wasn't kidding when she said the party didn't go so well. Whatever set Nathan off made a mess of things.

"And nothing since?" Max asked.

Victoria shook her head. "Like I said, sometimes he needs some time to himself, and I try to respect that. But he always lets me know he's still alive, which is why I'm getting worried. I know he texted you that he was okay, but... that was the worst I've ever seen him."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Victoria pressed her lips tightly together. "If you see or hear from him again, I would really love it if you'd let me know. He might go to you first again."

"I will," Max promised. "You'll be the first to know."

Once she said that, Victoria stood from her seat and pulled Max in for a full hug. It came without warning and caught her off-guard, the warmth of the bathrobe overwhelming her, but she quickly composed herself and returned it.

They stood there, holding each other silently for several comfortable seconds before Victoria broke it to step back at arm's length. The emotion in her face was obvious now, but she kept any tears from falling.

"Thanks for that, Max, I really needed to talk to someone about it. You're a great friend for listening."

Max noticed as they talked that Victoria was much more relaxed than she had been previously. She wasn't the kind of person who often worried or thanked people, Max knew, so letting even that much out must have been a weight off her chest.

Max smiled at the compliment. "I'm always here if you need it. I would hate to have you worry about these things by yourself."

"I'll keep that in mind," Victoria said. "But now I need to finish getting ready, unless you had anything else you wanted to talk about?" The moment was over, and her relaxation was already beginning to harden into her fierce shell once more.

"I think I'm good for now. Thanks, Victoria. See you later."

"Bye, Max."

Victoria turned back to continue applying her makeup, and Max left back into the hallway.

She could hear the showers running from the bathrooms and loud music now coming from someone's room, but the hall itself was empty other than herself. She returned to her room and thought about her next move.

Nathan was her definite next lead, but there was no telling when he would return. She could wait, as he always came before, though who knew how long that would be. Finding him in person was out of the question; where would she begin?

The obvious option was to find another way or wait for something to come up, but Max didn't want to. She was so close to finding something important, and the more she thought about it, the more that ominous ' ** _I don't want to die_ **' in her journal weighed on her. Waiting for herself to be body-snatched again was off the table.

That left one possible option, one that she knew she might have to fall back on. Chloe wouldn't like it one bit, but it would work. She would get her answers and hopefully be that much closer to figuring out what Old Max was up to. All she needed was one thing.

Moments later and hundreds of miles away, Chloe received an innocuous text.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Warren.
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Next chapter: 12-21


	19. A Million Miles Away

_"So that's it, huh? We'll keep in touch, right?"_

_"Of course, Chloe. We've both got phones and email and the internet. You're too good of a friend for me to let fade away."_

_Chloe allowed the silence to hang for too long. Something about those words felt like a lie, not that she would ever say so. Best to think of the positive. Change the subject and make their final moments happy._

_"How do you think it'll be when you're off to see the world and make your big break on the coast? Will the world learn to love the name Steph Gingrich?"_

_"Don't get too far ahead; the big break comes after I graduate. And it'll be less the entire world, more just the people I work with. Maybe some big company if I'm lucky, but I wouldn't hold my breath."_

_"Hey. Don't put yourself down like that. You've got talent."_

_"Have you ever seen any of this talent?"_

_"Not... personally. But anyone who can rip CDs as well as you has to have some somewhere. And those D &D sessions, too. I still get chills thinking about those times we had." _

_"Good chills, I hope."_

_"Oh yeah. The best chills."_

-Final Timeline, August 20th, 2010

* * *

Chloe shoved her phone back into her pocket and sucked on the last of her cigarette, feeling the nicotine relax her as she leaned against the cool wall. The sun had chased away the worst of the chill, but it still wasn't as warm as she preferred. Max's request was simple, and it made Chloe eager to find out what she planned to do with it. Another reason she couldn't wait for this trip to be over.

A quiet distrustful voice in the back of her mind whispered small doubts, but she pushed it away. There was no need to worry. She distracted her mind by thinking of other things.

"Alright," called Steph, finally coming out of the store with several plastic bags in her hands. Chloe stubbed her cigarette out on the wall and tossed it to the side. "Chips, sodas, candy, and we should be good. You okay to drive the next leg?"

Chloe grabbed one bag and reached in for a candy bar. She unwrapped and ate it as she spoke. "As long as I got some food to keep me going, I can handle it."

"I wouldn't call this food, exactly."

Chloe shrugged. "It's all sugar in the end. Same difference." She punctuated her point by opening a soda and drinking half of it without stopping. The burp afterward was louder than she intended. "You grabbed a _Playboy_ from the front too, right?"

Steph raised an eyebrow. "If you really need one of those, you can borrow one from my stack at home. I keep them under my bed."

Chloe squinted her eyes, trying to figure out if Steph was serious, but her impassive face revealed nothing. "Like some fifteen-year-old boy? Gotta say I'm surprised."

Steph let the question hang for a second before breaking and belting out a laugh. "Of course not." Her smile was wide. "I use the internet like any sane person."

A roll of the eyes was all she got in response. They filed back into Steph's vehicle, Chloe now in the driver's seat. Steph's soft chuckles carried through the closed space while Chloe took a minute to readjust the seat and mirrors. Soon enough, they were pulling out back onto the highway.

They drove in relative silence for many miles, the only sound the radio quietly pumping some new pop song Chloe had never heard. It was Steph's turn to set the music, and she'd have her rock tunes soon.

The world passed by without notice. Other than the occasional billboard for funeral homes and fast food, all that broke the monotony of trees beyond trees were the cars that cut them off far too often for Chloe's liking. Every time a semi-truck appeared, Chloe tried her hardest to let it pass with as much space as possible. She refused to acknowledge— _twisting, screeching, torn metal and a body crushed—_ the reason.

Eventually, Steph's voice broke through the monotony of driving.

"Hey, Chloe?" She had been on her phone for a while, and only now looked up. "Can I ask you something? I don't mean to be pushy after earlier, but it's been on my mind."

Chloe felt she knew where this was going. The exact reason why, however, remained to be seen. "You can ask, but no promise I'll answer." She kept her eyes on the road.

"I noticed you had some bandages on. You've been limping too, just a little. Can I ask what happened?" _Damn it._ "If it's about earlier, you don't have to say if you don't want to," she added.

Steph simply wouldn't let up. It wasn't her fault she was such a caring person, Chloe knew, but it was still annoying. Chloe had tried her hardest not to think about it her own problems too much; not that it worked. First Max, now Steph. She supposed her problems coming up was only to be expected, considering this entire trip was specifically because of her ex-girlfriend problem.

"You know I only ask because I care about you, right? I haven't been the best friend, but I want to fix that."

Chloe quickly glanced over— _eyes on the road, idiot—_ and saw no judgment in her eyes. Not a surprise, but still. She both did and didn't want to say something, and each of those parts of her silently warred in her mind. One side won.

"It was my shitstain of a stepdad. And..." _myself_ was the word she couldn't squeeze out. This was a mistake, her brain yelled at her, but she wasn't listening to that part anymore. If she would say this, it had to be now. "...I hate myself."

That was all she could say about it, but Steph seemed to get what she meant. Chloe could feel everything boiling to the surface and pulled off into a cutout before she crashed. She was in no position to drive with the coming onslaught of words.

"That's the truth. I hate myself, I hate that abusive douche, I hate that cheating bitch Rachel, and I hate my worthless life. Even Max, the girl I grew up with and loved from the very beginning. I hate that she's been pushed through all of this and I'm the only one that's been there for her, and even that hasn't been good enough." Her voice reached a sharp yell. "Why am I such a FUCKUP?" She slammed her hand on the steering wheel on that screamed word.

"I can't even make one person want to stay. They leave. They always leave because I can't fucking bother to be there without making all their shit worse. Everyone nearby gets their life ruined. I should just fucking die. It's all I'm useful for..."

Chloe's blood pumped through her as the car sat idling beside the highway. Steph said nothing during her rant, but at some point had put her hand on hers. She was waiting for Chloe to either continue or let her know she finished. Chloe had so much more to say, but she had run out of steam to carry on.

"I'm sorry about that." Her words came out weak.

"Don't be," Steph replied, voice calm and strong in comparison. "It sounds like this needed to come out. Trust me, I understand. I know people who have gone through the same things you have."

Chloe rested her head on the steering wheel, avoiding eye contact and hoping the vibrations would soothe her. They didn't.

"That stuff at the end," Chloe said. "I didn't mean that. I just got worked up in the moment."

"Look, Chloe. I'm not here to judge, but I can listen. Everything that you've had to go through, that can't be easy." When she didn't receive a response, she followed up. "Have you ever thought about talking to someone? A professional, I mean."

The thought had crossed Chloe's mind before, but she always rejected it out of hand. Therapists were for crazy people, and she hadn't crossed that boundary. Not yet, at least.

"I don't need to see anyone. I've got it handled. That was a slip-up, nothing more."

Steph gave Chloe's hand a small squeeze. "You can't keep pushing everything down like this, waiting for problems to solve themselves. I won't tell you what to do, but can you think it over? For me, please."

Chloe bit her lip, feeling her breath move faster than it should have. Steph was right, obviously. She was probably the only person who wouldn't tell her to fuck off after that. What if next time it was someone else? What if it was Max?

The thought of Max having to deal with another outburst like that pierced through her like a spike. All it took was a single question for her to explode. If Max pushed—really pushed—for another explanation, would she be able to hold back?

She didn't think she could; she had too much anger.

"The limping," Chloe said, lifting her head and forcing her voice steady, "is from something different. Fell and busted my ass. The bandages are from everything else. Max helped me with it."

"That was very thoughtful of her."

"Yeah..." And Chloe hated that she had to. But Max didn't care. She only wanted Chloe to be safe. "After we finish with Rachel. I'll... think about it." Chloe didn't want to make any promise more binding than that. Knowing herself, there was a good chance she wouldn't follow through.

"Thank you, Chloe." Steph's smile was visible on the edge of Chloe's vision. "And if you ever feel unsafe, either because of your stepdad or yourself, know that you can call me. I might not be there in person, but I want to help."

"Sure." With no other response, the conversation was over. Steph wasn't going to push it, and Chloe wasn't going to elaborate. Though it feels like it should have helped, Chloe only felt a chill in her mind for saying anything at all. Parts of her screamed that she had made a terrible mistake, that Steph was silently regretting taking her along in the first place.

As she always did, Chloe ignored those parts as best as she was able. She focused solely on the current moment, on maneuvering the car back onto the highway, still many miles to go until L.A.

-~-

Chloe had long since become restless, stuck in the car with little to do other than check her phone or watch the California land roll by. They had left behind the trees and cliffs for rolling fields dotted with cities on either side. The highways were designed for speed, not scenery, but even still they still had several hours to go.

They were past Sacramento and the November sun was setting, casting long shadows from every car and truck that sped past them. Even ten over the limit wasn't enough for some people, apparently, but Steph didn't seem bothered.

Chloe's phone currently showed her last few unanswered messages that she had sent to Max. It wasn't abnormal for her to not respond, but right then, Chloe missed her. Even the half a day they had spent apart was more than she wanted. Was it clingy? Maybe. But Chloe didn't care.

"Steph, do you mind if I call Max real quick? I want to check up on her before it gets too late."

Steph nodded. "Be my guest. Tell her I said hi."

With no hesitation, Chloe made the call and waited for Max to pick up. The line rang several times, but just before she got sent to voicemail, she heard the _click_ of an answer.

"...Hello?" Max's words came staticky through the phone.

"Heyo, Maxi! Hope I didn't interrupt anything important."

"Oh. No. Not really." She sounded tired, her voice slow and slightly hoarse. "I've been working on some assignments, but that's it, really. How about you? How are things?"

"Pretty cramped, honestly. But Steph is good company. We've still got a ways to go, so I just wanted to call you while I can, because we'll probably be there around midnight. Oh, and Steph says hi."

"...Steph?" The confusion was clear in Max's voice. "Where are you, Chloe?"

"Uh..." _Oh no. Not again_. "I'm going with Steph down to L.A. for a bit. We talked about this, remember? You were there when we left."

Max didn't respond at first, and Chloe immediately began to worry. She forgot small things still, but this was bigger than anything else she had. Chloe saw Steph shoot a worried glance out of the corner of her eye, obviously listening.

Only Max's heavy breathing came over the line for almost a minute before she finally responded. "Right, right." An unsteady chuckle. "You're with Steph in L.A. Sorry, it's been a long day."

"I understand." Chloe didn't, not really, but she would support her as long as she needed. "So you finally gonna tell me what the photo's for? Cause you know I can't wait until I get back. What's the plan with it?"

Another pause before Max responded. "Sorry, Chloe. I've just been really busy."

Max was acting strange, which wasn't unheard of these days, but something about it rubbed Chloe the wrong way. That distrustful part of her spoke louder, that Max had done something she shouldn't have. Chloe needed to know.

"Weird question. What do you think about _Back to the Future_?"

"Like... the movie?" She remembered that, at least.

"Yeah."

"You're right. That is a weird question."

Chloe tried to hold in her sigh. She didn't want to come out and ask, especially with Steph listening in. "I think we should watch it together when I get back. That photo reminded me of it. Wouldn't you love to time travel?"

"Um," Max started to talk, then cut herself off. "I feel like you're trying to get at something, but I don't get it. Is this about that joke you made the other day?" She hummed over the line "If I could time travel I'd go somewhere cool, like Ancient Rome."

That pretty much confirmed Chloe's fear. This wasn't Max. This was the version of her that existed when her Max was gone, either into a photojump or her new fast-forward power.

"I..." Chloe almost couldn't speak, the betrayal was so strong. "Yeah. Just a joke. Sorry Max, I really gotta go." She hung up before Max could respond.

Max had left at some point, and Chloe had a decent idea of where. She _lied_ to her, saying that she wanted it for a surprise when her intention was to disappear without saying anything. Did she think Chloe didn't trust her? That she could leave and come back before she noticed?

Whatever the excuse, Chloe was shattered. Part of her was livid, but it was drowned out by the rest of her, stunned by the sudden betrayal.

"You okay, Chloe? You've been pulling on your shirt for like five minutes now."

Steph's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Her loose shirt was bunched into two tight wads in her hands, and she had been unconsciously tugging on them. Chloe took a deep breath and smoothed them out as best she could.

"It's nothing."

"It's obviously something," Steph said immediately. "I was listening, and not to be rude, but you seemed kinda weird. I don't know what Max said to freak you out so much, but it really hit home."

It was less what she said, and more what she didn't, but Chloe couldn't explain any of it without sounding crazy.

"I asked her not to do something, and she did it. That's all." _Close enough to the truth_. "It's not a big deal."

"Ah. I get that." She kept her eyes on the road as she spoke. "But if you're having a problem, you shouldn't have hung up on her like that. Learn from my mistakes. Talk it out."

"Yeah, I know." Chloe couldn't very well talk with Max if it wasn't really Max on the other end of the line. "I just got overwhelmed."

"You want my advice? Calm down, then call her again. Either tonight before she goes to bed, or tomorrow if you need me gone. You should give her the chance to explain herself."

"I said, I know!" Chloe snapped, louder than she intended. She realized her mistake almost instantly and tried to correct. "Wait, shit, that came out wrong. I didn't mean it like that."

"It's fine, Chloe." Steph didn't look at her, but Chloe heard something in her voice that made her think it wasn't.

"I'm so sorry about that. You're right, I should call her tomorrow. I think that'll be best." That part of Steph's advice was sound, at least. The rest was less helpful than she knew.

Chloe was even more worked up than she had been, which was hard to believe. She wasn't back to 'depressed, angry rant', but she didn't trust herself to speak anymore. Fortunately, it seemed she wouldn't have to. She received no response, and all of Steph's focus was on the road, leaving Chloe alone once more with her thoughts.

-~-

"Chloe, wake up. We're here."

Steph's voice roused Chloe from her light rest. After their last driver switch, she had tried to fall asleep to the sounds of the highway but was less than successful. Her mind was too chaotic to relax, and she was awake before Steph even finished her sentence. Somehow she was even more tired.

Wordlessly, she exited the car and stretched her muscles, letting out a loud groan as she did. Steph grabbed the bags from the back and handed Chloe hers.

The apartment complex was located well outside the city, about an hour north of her college. Far enough that she could avoid the bustle of the big city, but close enough for her to join it if she wanted. Now, it was past midnight, and other than the flow of cars from the nearby street, the scene was silent.

"You can sleep on the couch," Steph said as she led them up the steps to the second floor. "I've got extra sheets and pillows and all that. Food in the fridge if you get hungry, and laundry downstairs."

She opened the door into a small apartment, probably only the size of Chloe's living room and kitchen combined, if she had to guess, and dropped her bags at the door. A kitchenette in the back with a stove, microwave, and fridge, a single closet, and two doors that Chloe presumed were Steph's room and the bathroom. In the far corner of the room was an L-shaped desk with a monitor and keyboard for a computer on one end, and open space with a sketchpad on the other. The walls were dotted with posters of books and movies that Chloe didn't recognize. Mostly sci-fi and fantasy, she saw.

"Cozy, isn't it?" Steph said. "A worthy sacrifice for privacy."

"No roommate?"

Steph shook her head. "Can't stand it, honestly, so I shell out the extra cash for a place to myself. You'll be fine, though, so long as you don't plan to move in."

"You never know," Chloe said. "A girl could get used to this."

"Believe me, all the girls I've brought back here don't stay for the scenery." Steph walked to the closet and pulled out several blankets and a pillow to use. "If you need anything at all, give me a knock. We can get started tomorrow, alright?"

Chloe took the supplies and nodded. "Sounds good."

They exchanged a quick goodnight before Steph retreated into her room, leaving Chloe alone. She turned off the lights and set up on the couch in the most comfortable position she could manage. There was plenty of room for her legs, but the back of the couch dug into her awkwardly.

Unfortunately, her ill-attempted attempt at sleep during the last leg of their journey ruined her laze. Her body refused to accept that it was past time to turn off for the night, and her brain did her no favors. She couldn't get beyond Max and what she had done.

After their conversation about no more secrets, she had immediately turned around and recklessly used her powers without saying anything. There was the chance that Chloe had misread the situation, and she hadn't done anything, but she doubted it. Max, her girlfriend, had betrayed her. The worst part was, she didn't even know why.

Her conversation with Fake Max— _come up with a better name, idiot—_ did make her wonder, though. It sounded almost like the Max she expected, only she seemed odd and confused, similar to how she acted when they first tested her fast-forward power. Not as annoyed and aggressive, but in the same vein.

Was this something to do with Max's strange journal entries? At this point, that seemed the most likely. Old Max had been scared to death of her body being taken over. What if that was another version of herself, traveling back through photos or temporarily fast-forwarding to communicate? It would explain why she couldn't understand her own actions sometimes.

But if that was another Max using her powers in secret, where did she come from? Was it the same Max who simply didn't remember or another one from far in the future? The entire situation was odd, but there was nothing she could do with her Max gone into a photo unable to talk.

Despite how much it shouldn't have, anger flowed through her in waves, though its focus was unclear. Max? The situation? Herself? She didn't know, but it showed itself all the same. Chloe only hoped that Max would have a reasonable explanation in the end. They could laugh at how silly she acted, and why did she even get upset in the first place?

Chloe reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She immediately navigated to her last proper conversation with Max, before Chloe had sent numerous meaningless texts just for the company. Knowing what Max did, it put her in a different light.

Even the photo was poisoned. A memory of the start to an ultimately wonderful day. Her choices were poor, that much was obvious, but it worked out in the end, making it all worth it. Having Max accept her for who she was, even after everything, proved to Chloe that she was the _one_.

Chloe loved Max. That's all there was to it. It didn't matter whether Max remembered, because it was true. Those were the things that crossed her mind looking at that photo. But now, what did it mean? Would it change when Max returned? Had it already done so, and she had no way of realizing?

She couldn't know. Not until Max returned. And so, answers out of reach, she spent far longer than she should have looking at those final texts wondering what it all meant.

By the time she fell asleep, her tears had dried many times over.

-~-

**_Max_** _: Hey Chloe! Can you send me that picture I photobombed with you on Wednesday? I know it's kind of cheesy but it's the only one we took on that day you asked me out (yes I count that) and I want to do something special with it._

 **_Me_** _: oh yeah totally. you gonna tell me what youre gonna do with it or will you be mean about it?_

 **_Max_** _: You'll have to wait and see! ^_^ Maxoxo_

 **_Me_** _: no EMOJI!!!!! but fiiiine ily._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading.  
> Next chapter: 12-28


	20. A Million Minutes Away

~~_DEAR_~~ _MAX, I can never decide which I would hate more. You as you are, staring blankly at the ceiling not seeing shit. Or you disappeared to whereverthefuck without me. At least when you were gone I could believe you were having the time of your life. Here I don't even have that. The doctors are clueless. One of them even told me to pray for you. Do I look like a fucking Christian crosshugger?_

_You haven't gotten any other visitors. They tried to kick me out the first few days but I told them I'm your sister and they believed it I guess. Or maybe they were sick of me threatening to break shit if they made me leave. I like to think I'm just that charismatic._

_I guess honestly I don't hate you for any of it. Leaving me, acting all weird and shit,_ ~~_dying on m_~~ _the accident or whatever. None of it was your fault. Please get better. I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you._

_I'm okay. Thanks for asking._

-Final Timeline, Chloe's Journal, October 17th

* * *

Max was ready. She knew exactly where she was going and what she needed to do when she arrived. The familiar white light overtook her temporarily, but she reached up blindly like she knew she did before. From her horizontal position on Chloe's bed, she grasped Chloe's hand to sit up.

Chloe said her next words in the script. "Never took you for such a photohog."

And Max did so in kind. "I never took you as one for selfies, either."

"Touché, Caulfield." She tugged on her shirt and Max spied the bandage sticking out, exactly like last time.

Next would be their conversation about last night, where Max indulged her caring instinct to convince Chloe to open up. It wasn't completely successful, but it made them both feel better. At least, Max thought so.

Regardless, the lull before that was what Max needed. She looked around and saw that familiar barrier—not approaching, this time—about a foot inside where the walls of the room would be. It gave off that faint shimmer, but if Max was right, it wouldn't be there long.

She raised her hand as subtle as possible and pressed herself into a fast-forward. Auto Max could handle this next part. As expected, the world lost its saturation as it continued onward. There was no white barrier visible anymore. Using as much care as she could, she carefully controlled the force of her power to ever-so-slightly faster than normal speed. If it wasn't too fast, she could still listen in.

Their conversation continued as expected. Chloe said her problem wasn't really a problem, something Max didn't believe for a second, even then. After that, David knocked at the door, sending Chloe into a freeze. Even the sound of that man's voice was enough to shake her, and Max couldn’t blame her.

After that was the twenty minutes she had lost, presumably fast-forwarding by accident. No need to go through that conversation again. As Chloe finished digging in her closet for clothes to change into after her shower, Max phased into her older self, trying to match her pose as close as possible, before dropping her power.

Chloe's voice dropped slightly in pitch—back to normal—as she spoke. "Feel free to take what-?" She cut herself off. "Did you just rewind on me?"

Max wasn't quick enough. She released her power after Chloe had already turned around, and her shadowing wasn't perfect.

Chloe continued, eyes squinted in suspicion. "I've seen it enough times to recognize that shift. You did some funky time travel thing. Another prank? Is a bucket of water gonna fall on my head when I leave the room?"

"Uh, no. Nothing like that." Max figured it was best not to hide anything. The hypocrisy of the situation wasn't lost on her, considering the Chloe she had avoided coming here. "I'm photojumping right now, actually."

Suspicion melted into surprise. "Oh, hell." Chloe tossed her clothes on the bed and sat down next to Max. "On purpose this time? You're really pulling it fucking close if you came back from that photo I took. Alright, lay it on me, Super Max."

"Calm down, Chloe. We're in no rush. I can stay here as long as I need." It was true. The white border that had appeared when she first arrived was now gone. Her power itched for her to return, and her headache was flaring up again, but those were both easily ignored. "It turns out that if I fast-forward through when I should go back, I can avoid it. I'm here until I decide to return."

"Hold up." Confusion, now. "You can fast-forward? And stay in the past forever? How far in the future are you from? You must have already done your super training montage if you're discovering new powers."

"Not really... I'm only jumping back from Friday morning."

"So you've discovered how to do that in only two days? That's pretty cool."

Max shook her head. "I think I could always do it, but I didn't realize I was. All those times I zoned out I think I was really fast-forwarding."

"That... actually makes a whole lot of sense. So, what brings you back to today? Something bad happen that we need to stop?"

"Uh, kind of. We need to go to Nathan's party tonight so I can talk to him. I think he has something to do with what Old Max was up to, and we won't be able to afterward."

Chloe smirked. "What, people finally get fed up with his 'woe is me' rich kid shtick and break his jaw? Cause I wanna see that."

"I'm not entirely sure. From what Victoria said, he got angry about something during the party and drove off. He hadn't come back yet, and this was the easiest way to find him."

"Fair enough." Chloe shrugged her shoulders. "We crash his party, interrogate him, and find out what he knows."

"He invited us, actually," Max said. "When we didn't show last time, apparently he made a big fuss about it."

"Damn, there goes my carefully concocted plan of sneaking in. Guess we'll do it the boring way." She slid herself closer to Max. "So, what's the plan until then? I doubt you'll bother with classes, considering."

A plan. Chloe was putting a lot of faith into Max that she had one, which she supposed made sense. She was technically from the future, and judging from the last time she unexpectedly photojumped, Chloe was told to trust whatever she said. Normally being restricted to only a few minutes made every second to pass on information count, it seemed.

"Uh, not much, I guess. I need to text Nathan for the time and place, but we're free until then."

"Hell yeah!" Chloe cheered. "No point in school, no point in homework. You know what I'm thinking? Movies, then dinner. That cash stepdouche left for us should be plenty for some grub." She stood and swept her clean clothes off her bed before heading to the door. "Let me take a shower right quick, while you decide what you want to watch. You know my preference, of course."

"Um, not really."

Chloe stopped mid-stride. "Oh shit. Right, sorry. _Blade Runner_." She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "It's my favorite movie. Our favorite. Do you remember seeing it?"

Max shook her head. "But we can watch it together, if you want. I'm sure it's great if you love it so much."

"Alright," Chloe said. Her bout of energy at the idea of watching a movie had faded. "I'm gonna go take that shower. Don't go anywhere."

She left the room, mood spoiled from the looks of it. Her joy at something as simple as watching _Blade Runner_ didn't last when faced with the reality that Max couldn't share in it. Max hated that she had done that to her. When were her memories going to return? At this point, she was thinking they weren't.

Waiting for Chloe, Max pulled out her phone and texted Nathan for his address and the time they were supposed to show. Surprisingly, he answered almost immediately.

 **_Nathan_ ** _: fck right forgot you didnt know the place. everyone elsell be there abt 7. vortex club + u._

 **_Me_ ** _: Is it okay if Chloe comes too?_

 **_Nathan_ ** _: sure w/e. figured youd bring her along anyway_

 **_Me_ ** _: Thanks Nathan_

That dealt with, Max waited patiently for Chloe to return. Though she had already spent so much time in her room, she simply couldn't help herself but to snoop a little. It was in her nature.

She still needed to dig through the closet again for a change of clothes, but there was no rush. Chloe would be awhile, and Max knew what she would wear, anyway.

There wasn't a TV set up where she could see, and she hadn't spotted one hiding in the closet, so she figured that Chloe would play the movie off her laptop or they would go downstairs to watch it there. The laptop itself was locked, no helpful note telling her what the password was.

To find something interesting, drawers were always a valuable option. The top few held loose paper and trash, wrappers and cans that Chloe had felt too lazy to throw away. A few scraps of paper had scores of angry writing on them. **_FUCK THE WORLD_ ** . **_LEAVE ME ALONE_ ** . And even **_I CAN'T SLEEP_ **, a message repeated on the walls of the room itself. Very Chloe.

The bottom-left drawer was less cluttered, considering it held only one thing. A ringed book covered in stickers and sharpie. Chloe's journal. There was no guarantee that Chloe even used it anymore, but regardless, looking through it would be too much for even Max. Chloe hadn't read Max's without permission either. She shut the drawer and moved on.

Max opened the bottom-right drawer and saw only crumpled pieces of paper stuffing the entire thing full. She reached in and smoothed one out. The paper was covered in half-finished doodles and sketches of a person. From the hair and freckles on the ones detailed enough to have them, they were of Max.

She pulled out another one and saw the same thing. Even more unfinished pictures of herself. Chloe's art wasn't bad, but whatever the reason, she had thrown them all in here.

Digging through more of Chloe's art, Max spotted something shoved in the very back that wasn't a piece of paper. She pushed the papers out of the way, grabbed on to it, and came away with a small metal box. It was about the size of an Altoids tin, only much deeper. The top was on the container but was easy to slide off.

She knew exactly what it was the moment she looked inside. A handful of blades and small knives stacked within. Max wasn't supposed to see this. No one was supposed to see this.

She closed the box and slid it back into the drawer. As she did so, the door to the room opened with its familiar _creak_. She was back early.

"Uh, Max." Chloe's voice came from behind her. "Whatcha doin' there?"

Max straightened and turned around, like a caught and embarrassed child. "I'm sorry, Chloe. I didn't mean to go through your stuff. I was just looking around.'

"What did you find?" Her words were slow.

"You're pretty good. I saw those drawings you made of me." Max thought about lying or trying to slide by it, but Chloe knew. She knew what Max saw. "...and the knives."

"Dammit, Max." She didn't say it in anger, more like a sigh filled with sadness or desperation. "I didn't want you to find that stuff. You really are such a snooper."

"I'm really so-"

Chloe cut her off. "Don't apologize. It's alright. We talked about it, you know, it's okay. No secrets between us." A pang of guilt radiated through Max. "And I should've figured, knowing how much you like to dig through my stuff. You always have. It's part of why I-... of who you are."

She walked over to where Max was standing and pushed the drawer closed with her foot. "I'm just embarrassed, I guess. It's not a big deal."

Max reached down and held Chloe's hand in hers. "Don't say things like that. Your problems are real, even if you don't think so."

Chloe looked down at their hands clasped together. "Can I ask you something?" A silent nod from Max. "In the next couple of days, before you came back... did I ever tell you something kind of important? About the two of us, I mean. I've been meaning to want to say it, but honestly I don't know if I can. I don't want to narc on my future self if I haven't, though."

It was clear what she was referring to. It hadn't gone so well when it happened, but they had gotten through it. "Don't worry, Chloe. You did, girlfriend."

A sigh of relief escaped Chloe, and she seemed to grow taller as the stress from wondering left her. A smile crossed her face, and Max couldn't help but to return it.

"Did it go great? Was I smooth about it?"

A lie for an answer, telling her what she wanted to hear would be easy, but it wouldn't be right. Even if this conversation wouldn't exist for more than a day, Max couldn't lie to her. Not to her face.

"Not at all. I kind of ran off when you told me," Max said as Chloe's eyes widened in surprise. "It's a bit of a long story, trust me. Why don't you get the movie set up while I tell you?"

Chloe reluctantly released Max's hand and moved to grab her laptop. She opened it in her lap as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Alright, Caulfield," she said, her smile returned. "Tell me everything that happened. And I expect a happy ending after that twist of an opening."

"Don't worry." Max took her seat next to Chloe on the bed. "It all worked out in the end."

_Minus my disappearing act, of course._

-~-

"Man, every time I watch that movie I love it even more. What'd you think?"

"I really enjoyed it," Max said. "Very 80's. And I loved Pris's hair."

Chloe tugged on her own. "I said the same thing the first time I saw it. I think I could pull it off, don't you?"

"Definitely."

Chloe closed her laptop and stood up to stretch and Max did the same. They hadn't moved at all during the movie, preferring to spend their time holding each other as they watched.

"So," Chloe said as she grabbed the machine and set it back on her desk. "I dunno about you, but I'm starving. We could go to Two Whales if you really want, though honestly I'd rather not, if that's alright."

"Hmm... Chinese?"

"Perfect. Let me grab my coat and let's roll!"

-~-

With not much to do until the party at seven, Max and Chloe spent the day watching movies. Chloe took it upon herself to jog Max's memories with all the movies she couldn't remember seeing, and though nothing came back to Max, she enjoyed the time they spent together.

She told Chloe the highlights of the next couple of days, including traveling back and learning that Nathan had something to do with everything. The details were left unspoken, and Chloe didn't push. The fact that Chloe had no idea Max had left was something she chose not to mention.

The Prescott estate was only about a mile outside of town, which meant that it was easy for them to arrive at exactly seven.

The building itself stood tall, pillared and proud exactly how Max imagined a rich person would live, though some things immediately stood out to her as odd. The yard was vast and clear of trees, but the grass was growing tall, as if it hadn't been mowed in at least a week. She could see an outdoor pool, uncovered despite the cold season. And loose leaves covered almost everything outside. Wouldn't the Prescotts have groundskeepers to deal with that?

An entrance gate was placed on the road leading in, a panel beside it to open it or call ahead, but the gate itself was wide open, letting Chloe drive straight through.

"Well," Chloe said as she found a spot to park the truck. Max recognized both Nathan's and Victoria's vehicles outside. "I say we head in, grab some booze, say hello, then try to get Nathan alone. Should we take a backup pic, in case this goes south?"

"Do you think it will?" Max honestly hadn't considered it, though anything was possible.

"Never hurts to be safe." Chloe shrugged.

Max agreed. There wasn't any risk in _not_ doing it. She slid her phone out of her pocket and snapped a quick photo of herself.

"We all good?" Chloe asked after she put it away.

Max nodded.

"Then let's crash this thing."

They filed out of the truck and walked up the steps to the front door. It was cracked open slightly, and Max could hear several voices chatting inside. They entered, taking care to close the door behind them, and were almost immediately called out.

"Whoa," Justin was in the entrance way, walking in front of the large steps leading to the upper floor. In each hand was a beer, and from the looks of his he had already begun drinking himself. "Didn't expect you two gals to show. Right on you for makin' it, though."

"Hi, Justin," Max said.

"Heya," Chloe added.

He called into the room he was heading toward. "Yo, Chloe and, uh, Max are here!" Justin waved them in with a beered hand and they followed him to where the party was.

He led them to the living room, where someone had pushed the couch to the center of the room, and some chairs in front of it, leaving seats in a small circle. There was a fireplace at the end of the room with a small flame burning, warming the room and bathing the room in a warm glow.

Justin took a seat next to Trevor on the couch and passed him one of the beers. Victoria was seated in a chair across from them on her phone, but looked up when she heard Max and Chloe enter. Surprisingly, she was in very casual clothing: a loose blouse and comfortable pants. Even her makeup was only enough to look presentable, compared to the perfection she usually strived for.

"Wow. I honestly didn't expect you two to show. Nathan will be glad to hear it." She said that last sentence dry and terse, like she would have preferred they didn't show.

Chloe answered immediately. "Oh, don't act like that, Vicky." Victoria scoffed and rolled her eyes at the nickname. "You know you're happy to see us."

"As if."

"Speaking of Nathan," Max piped in before they could bite each other's heads off, "where is he?"

"He's upstairs, I think," Justin answered. Victoria had gone back to her phone. "He'll be down soon, don't worry. Come on, grab a seat, grab a beer. They're in the kitchen." He lazily waved across the hall where he had come from before. "I was just telling Trevor about this cool movie I saw."

"Yeah, sure, I'll drink," Chloe said before heading to grab one. She must have known Max didn't want one. She wasn't against alcohol; she rather wouldn't have wanted one in this setting. Maybe if it was only Chloe with her.

"You aren't gonna have anything, Max?" Trevor asked. "How about some bud? I brought some if you're interested."

"Uh, no thanks."

"Alright, cool." He didn't press her on it, thankfully.

Justin spoke up. "Hey, if you're just giving it away..."

"Not a chance."

Max was feeling self-conscious being the only one still standing, so she took a seat in one of the loveseats, leaving a spot for Chloe beside her.

By the time Chloe returned, Justin had already continued his tale about his crazy movie. It didn't sound that interesting to Max, but maybe it was one of those that was way funnier if you were on drugs.

Victoria was only half paying attention. She was too focused on whatever was on her phone to provide an audience, so Justin was only talking to the three of them.

Right when Justin was _getting to the best part, I swear_ , a crash from the stairs near the entrance interrupted him.

"Shit. Fuck. I said shut it." It was Nathan's voice, clearly, and he entered the room soon after. His hair was disheveled and his nose was bright red.

"Don't worry about it. I'm back now." He looked up and saw Max and Chloe sitting there and stopped. "Holy shit, you two actually made it."

"Uh, hi Nathan," Max said. "Yeah, we're here."

"I _told_ you, V." He threw out a lazy hand toward Victoria, and she only _hmm_ 'ed in response. "Now the party can start. Fuck yeah!" He wandered over to an empty seat and collapsed down.

Something seemed off about him. He didn't look drunk, from what Max could tell, but his movements were wide and over-corrective. She noticed his leg shake constantly as he sat.

"So..." Chloe began. "When's everyone else gonna show? It can't be just us, right?"

"This is it." He spread his arms wide. "No one else wanted to come. The whole club's been shit like that since Jefferson murdered that bitch, whatever her name was."

"Come on," Trevor cut in. "Don't say stuff like that." He turned to Chloe. "But yeah, he's right. The club's kind of died since that happened. Really killed the vibe."

"Shut up, Trev. I'm speakin' here," Nathan snapped at Trevor, then continued. "Anyway, yeah. So it'll be us for tonight. Maybe next time we can convince the rest to show. I think Dana could use the company, at least."

This entire situation wasn't much of a party. Two weed bros talking to no one but each other, Victoria who had barely said a word and was on her phone, and Nathan, who was clearly both ornery and out of it. Staying at this 'party' for much longer wouldn't help much, she felt.

Chloe seemed to have the same idea. Max felt her bump her knee and nod her head toward Nathan, signaling that she wanted to do something.

"Hey, Nathan?" Max called out.

"Yeah?" he spat out.

"Can Chloe and I talk to you for a minute? In private, preferably."

"Sure, whatever." Nathan waved them out toward the kitchen. Justin and Trevor had gotten into a heated argument about something and didn't notice them leave, but Victoria raised an eyebrow as they passed.

In the kitchen, Nathan leaned against the counter. It might have been to have somewhere to stand, but Max wondered if he could stay still if he hadn't.

"So, what's the big question?" he asked.

Chloe looked to Max to start.

She took a moment to think about what she wanted to say, wanting to get information without letting on too much. She shouldn't technically remember some of what she saw.

"Victoria told me that before my accident, the two of us talked about some stuff. I just want to know what you told me. And if it had anything to do with your dad." At that last sentence, Nathan's eyes opened wide.

"What? What about my dad?" Nathan crossed his arms.

"We're just wondering if you knew anything," Chloe said. "We want to know what Max talked to you about, and since she can't remember, we're coming to you."

"I don't care. That shit we went over is between me and Max, and frankly, I don't fucking feel like going over that again." He raised a shaking arm to rub the back of his head. "Look, you don't make the kind of cash my dad does without doing some illegal things. That's how it works when you move in those circles."

"Where is your dad now?" Max asked. "Is he still here?"

"Off in Finland or some shit. From what I gathered, things got hot, so he skipped the country. My mom went with him too, for some reason."

Chloe pressed. "Do you know _why_ he left?"

Nathan thought for a moment, unable to stand still. His foot tapped the ground, and he kept scratching his arm. Eventually, he came to a decision.

"I... can show you. But you gotta promise me this stays between us. He tried to get me into it, but it didn't take. It's nothing good."

"Look, we promise." Chloe was getting fed up. It looked like she wanted to get out of there. "Just show us what you know, and we'll drop it."

"Please, Nathan," Max added.

"Alright. But it'll be a bit of a drive."

He left the kitchen and went to the front door without even waiting for a reply. Before leaving, he called out into the living room. "Yo, we're going to head out for a bit. Try not to break anything."

"Wait, what?" Victoria stomped into the entranceway as Nathan opened the door. "You're _leaving_? You're the one that wanted to get everyone together. You can't just fucking leave."

"V." Nathan's voice was calm. "We'll be back soon. Have fun with Justin and Trevor. It's fine."

Victoria grew redder in the face, and Max thought she was about to explode in a shower of anger and vitriol. However, she restrained herself to a shaky _whatthefuckever_ under her breath and stomped to the kitchen, presumably to get another drink.

That dealt with, Nathan led them to his truck and ushered them to get in. Max and Chloe took the back seat while Nathan hopped in to drive. Max didn't especially trust him to, considering that his shakes still hadn't gone away, but she said nothing. As long as they didn't crash, she would finally get some answers.

"So how far is it to whatever you need to show us?"

Nathan shrugged as he backed the truck out to leave. "Like, ten minutes. We'll be quick about it."

-~-

Thirty-five minutes later, Nathan drove the truck down a dark dirt path in the woods. There was no moon out that night, which meant he was seeing with only what light his truck provided. At no point during the trip had he checked his phone for a map or directions, which meant he knew exactly where he was going. Either that, or they were hopelessly lost.

Just about when Max was about to speak up, Nathan turned a dark corner, revealing a large building looming through the trees. It was the only structure they had passed in a while, and as he maneuvered in, they knew they had arrived.

The barn was rickety and old, clearly unmaintained. Many of the wood boards were missing, letting light and rain through, and the ones that remained were rotting from the moisture. Notably, yellow police tape covered the entrance, though most of it was loose on one end.

"Come on." He parked the truck and took the keys. With no hesitation, he got out and made his way over to the front.

"Uh, Nathan," Chloe said. Her voice wavered. She and Max exited as she spoke. "What the hell is this place?"

"I said I would show you. Come on!" He waved at them to follow.

Chloe leaned in to whisper at her ear, quiet enough so Nathan couldn't hear. "If he tries to pull some shit, you're good to rewind and warn me, right?"

Max nodded. Max didn't think this was a great idea, but if she wanted answers, she had no choice but to follow.

When they caught up to Nathan, he had already torn down the tape and pulled the barn door open. Inside were dozens of old machines and parts stored on unstable upper floors. In the center of the barn was an opening. Both halves of the hidden door were wide open, and stairs led down to a basement. Nathan went straight down the steps.

The bottom held a door that didn't fit in with the rest of the barn. It was much newer and made of metal. A keypad, presumably to unlock it, was situated on the wall beside it, but it was unnecessary, as Nathan easily pushed the door open. It swung silently on its hinges.

Max had no idea what to expect, but what she found wasn't it. A small room filled with empty shelves led into a larger area. A couch wrapped in plastic sat in the middle, directly in front of a part of the room with a white floor, surrounded by photography equipment. Expensive cameras and flash umbrellas stood watching by.

The pictures on the walls only added to the eeriness. Dark photographs of women bound, looks of agony and pain in their faces. Max knew instinctively that this place was evil.

"Okay, so." Chloe was the first of them to speak after taking in the room. " _What the fuck_? What is this place?"

"This is what you wanted to see, right? The shit my dad was trying to get me into? This is where Jefferson took those girls."

At that news, Chloe flared up. She practically leaped at Nathan to get in his face. Something was wrong, though, in that her movement seemed sluggish to Max, like playing a video game with a poor connection.

"You took us to a fucking murderer's lair? You couldn't have just _told us_ back at the party?" Her mouth moved a half-second after Max heard the words. "And what do you mean your dad was trying to get you into this? Did you have something to do with Jefferson and all that girl he killed?"

"No! I swear." Nathan backed up several steps, but Chloe stayed right on him. He was cowering under her glare. "He tried, okay? He _tried_. Max was the one that kept them off my back. She's the one that dealt with them. Called the cops or some shit, I don't know."

"What about your dad? What'd he have to do with it?"

"I don't know exactly what," Nathan said. Max blinked and suddenly his hands were up. "I think he paid to have this place built. But now he's on the hook for a lot of what's happened, so that's why he's fucked off to Sweden or wherever."

Another blink and Chloe was looking back toward Max. She seemed to waver slightly, though her feet stayed firmly planted. "Does any of this ring a bell, Max? I don't really know what to make of it."

Max couldn't respond. The swaying gradually grew worse and worse until everything went sideways, the floor tumbling up to the walls.

"Fuck! Not again..." a voice said. Max couldn't make out its owner. The tile rushed up to meet her, and she couldn't move a muscle to stop it.

She was out before she hit the ground.

-~-

On pure instinct, Max wrestled herself past the blank, empty darkness of unconsciousness into that strange realm of visions. It was similar in layout to last time, though the endless plane had the courtesy of dropping her where she had left, relieving the need for another long walk. One thing was strikingly different, however.

The floating rocks had decreased in number. Where before there were a few dozen, now only ten remained. Beyond them was the nothingness, exactly as before.

A familiar voice called out to her from somewhere above.

"Oh. Welcome back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You just can't get away...
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Next chapter: 1-4


	21. Rachel, to an Extent

_C._

_You can tell how much I didn't want you to read this letter since I've waited this long to leave it for you. I want to stay and talk about it but I worry that you'll convince me to never leave and I simply can't take that chance. I don't want you to hate me, though I know you will. Where to start?_

_There are things I need. Not as a way to make it in this life but as a person. You can't give me these things, even though I know you wish you could. I tried looking for it from other people and only one came close. I won't tell you, because I know you'll have a meltdown, but I swear I couldn't do any of this without them. They changed my life._

_Before you ask, it's not about the pills. If I told you, you'd only shake your head and give me that stink eye for it. You wouldn't understand._

_I'm leaving. Or, if I planned this right, I already left. Don't try looking for me, it'll only make this hurt worse. Maybe one day I can see you again and we can talk. But that time won't come soon. This was always my dream and I hope you can be happy for me._

_There's nothing left there. I know you won't believe me, but it's not about you._

_I'll always care for you._

_-R_

-Final Timeline, May 30th

* * *

Chloe awoke to a sharp pain in her neck and a clog of snot in her nose. She had stayed up far longer than she should have wondering and waiting for an answer from nowhere and only received a restless sleep for her trouble. She had removed the bandage before she left, and everything underneath rubbed uncomfortably against her clothing; a reminder to herself that things weren't okay.

 _One step at a time_.

Steph was awake, from the sounds of movement coming from the kitchen behind her, and Chloe figured that she should join her. With a groan, she pulled herself up, took a moment to pop a few of her joints, and stood. A digital clock on a shelf told her it was just past noon.

“Good morning,” Steph called when she saw Chloe. She wore an over-sized shirt and sweatpants and shook the box of cereal in her hands. “Want some?”

Chloe nodded her head and joined Steph to make some breakfast. They moved in silence for a while, neither of them entirely awake yet, before sitting down across from each other at the single small table in the apartment.

“So,” Chloe began. “What's the plan?”

Steph spoke through bites of her cereal. “I figure tonight we start at the place I saw her, ask if anyone's seen her. It's Saturday, so I don't doubt she'll be somewhere.”

Chloe nodded. It was a solid plan, though the odds of it working left a pit in her stomach. “I hope this is all okay with you. I know you've got like big college classes or whatever, but thanks again for doing all this. You didn't have to.”

“It was a dick move what she did. If I were in your position, I'd want answers too. My classes aren't a problem, don't worry about that. I want to do what I can to help.”

“Yeah, well. Thanks. Still.”

Chloe spied Steph's large smile over her spoon as they continued eating.

-~-

“You almost ready, Chloe?”

It was late, and the sun had long since gone down on the day. They had spent most of it out in town, Steph showing Chloe some of her favorite sights and stores nearby. They stopped in a small Chinese restaurant for dinner before heading back. The bar Steph had seen Rachel in was close to downtown, and depending on how long they stayed out, they would have to contend with the hustle of one of the biggest cities in the world on a Saturday night.

“Yeah, just gimme a minute.”

Chloe pressed the phone up against her ear one last time. She had tried to call Max several times during the day, hoping she had returned or at least looking for confirmation she hadn't. Unfortunately, she had yet to answer.

The phone rang, each _briiing_ worrying Chloe more and more. On the eighth one, that automated voice answered, telling her that Max couldn't be reached. Chloe left a short reply on the voicemail.

“Hey, Max. Chloe again. Like, it's cool if you need some space or whatever. That's fine. I'm... just getting a little worried. Want to talk. Yeah. Call me when you get this. Bye.”

Steph spoke up as Chloe put the phone away. “Still nothing?”

Chloe shook her head.

“I'm sure she's fine. She probably left her phone somewhere and forgot about it. You said she was forgetful, right?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Steph walked over to Chloe and put her hand on her shoulder. “Look, if you're having second thoughts or you want to go home, I understand. Be with your girlfriend. We can get you on a plane and you'll be back tomorrow.”

Chloe thought it over. It was a tempting offer, but she had come all this way. It seemed like a waste to head back before even _trying_ to find Rachel. Maybe Steph was right. It wouldn't be out of character for Max to lose her phone— _or she's just ignoring you again—_ and if something did happen, her powers would make it difficult to stick.

“No,” she said, deciding. “I can do this. We'll just find Rachel, get some answers, and that's it. I... won't try forever, though. If she doesn't want to be found, then there's nothing we can do about it. I won't chase her forever. I have Max to get back to.”

“That's very forward-thinking of you, Chloe.”

Chloe shrugged. “I have my moments. Let's hit the road.”

-~-

Unfortunately, the first club they searched was a dud. As were the next four after that. They had gone through the places Steph had considered as 'most likely', for whatever measure that was, and had now moved on to those that Google recommended. Their plan had many problems, but with no way to contact or find out more information about Rachel, it was the best they had.

Chloe was still only nineteen, which restricted some of their options, but Steph told her not to worry. Rachel wasn't twenty-one yet either, and Steph had seen her in an eighteen-plus bar, and unless she had a fake, that's all she'd be able to go to as well. Chloe thought it likely that a small thing such as an ID wouldn't keep her out, but she held her tongue.

Now their search had taken them to a club deep in downtown, and the streets were busy. It was a short, wide building connected to a closed coffee shop, and the entrance was down a flight of stairs around back.

“ _The Welkin Way_?” Chloe asked as she looked down toward the entrance. The muted sound of music roared through the walls downstairs, and fortunately, there was no line. Only a lone bouncer sat on a stool guarding the entrance.

“This place seemed pretty popular. It's worth a shot.”

Chloe chewed her lip. “And if she isn't there? We've searched like five places already, and we have no idea if she's even out tonight. Or if she showed up late and we missed her. I don't see how we're going to find one person in this huge-ass city.”

“Don't get discouraged. If we don't find her, then we'll try again tomorrow. And the next day. And we'll keep trying until we decide that it's a lost cause.”

Chloe honestly didn’t how long it would take her to give up, but if this didn’t work, she might have to find out. “Okay. If you say so.” Chloe left it at that.

They both headed down the stairs, Chloe silently wondering if it was worth it at all, and showed their ID's to the bouncer. 'Henry', his name tag said. He looked like a Henry.

With a nod from Henry, he allowed them to enter. The club was divided into two parts, with a dance floor taking up most of the room. Scattered tables filled the other part, and most were full of the people who weren't dancing at the moment, for any number of reasons. The DJ sat on a raised platform on the far side of the dance floor, playing some thumping song whose bass sent Chloe's stomach turning. It felt good, if she was being honest.

A hallway leading to the bar was nearby, and from what Chloe could see, it was fairly packed compared to the other room. Chloe didn't blame them. Alcohol always helped the party get going.

Steph turned to her, practically shouting to be heard over the music. “I'll go check the bar, you look in here. We'll meet up back here if we find anything, alright?”

To save her voice, Chloe shot Steph a thumbs-up. Steph nodded and made her way out, leaving Chloe alone. Not expecting to find anything, yet hoping she would, Chloe moved around, searching the crowd.

It was difficult to see through the flashing lights and moving bodies, but looking for Rachel was simple enough. Steph assured her that Rachel hadn't changed too much to be unrecognizable. _No Botox or anything_ , she had joked. Chloe wasn't surprised; Rachel loved her own body too much to ruin it like that.

The tables were easy to go through. Almost everyone was sitting, and those that weren't, Chloe could see past. Only a bunch of tired college kids trying to get their kicks after a long week. No Rachel there.

From outside the crowded dance floor, Chloe couldn't get a decent look at anyone inside, so she maneuvered herself into the throng of moving bodies. Mostly, the dancers attempted to give her space, except for a few who seemed to pointedly ignore her. A quick shove made quick work of them, allowing her to get to the center.

The lights, sound, and overwhelming sensation of the dance floor tired her. This was the third busy crowd she had pressed through tonight, and it was easily the worst. In a small way, Chloe was glad Max wasn't here. There was no way she'd be able to survive this. Not without a small panic attack, at least.

Unsurprisingly, Rachel made no appearance. Even in the confusing shake of the dance floor, she was confident that she wasn't there. Rachel had a tendency to be big and loud, always needing the spotlight. If she were here, she'd make herself known over these kids whose idea of dancing went only as far as a limp-wristed twist.

Just to make sure, and only because Chloe knew she wouldn't be able to stand searching another club that night, she made a second round through the crowd. This time, some people gave her a strange look, but she barely stopped to notice. A quick look at their faces was all she needed.

Once again, no Rachel. If Chloe was being honest to herself, it wasn't a surprise. This trip seemed like a worse idea the longer it went on. How long would she wait, randomly searching clubs and bars for a girl who didn't want to be found? She had Max back in Arcadia Bay, so what did she even need Rachel for, anyway? Nothing, that's what.

Chloe made up her mind. This entire trip was a mistake, and she needed to get back. She left the dance floor and walked over to the exit, ready to tell Steph that she was done.

Steph was already there waiting, but she seemed nervous. Her arms were crossed and she tapped her foot rapidly, even faster than the music. The instant she spotted Chloe making her way back, she rushed over and grabbed her, hands on her shoulders.

“Hey, what the fu-”

“Chloe, you need to be calm.” Steph stared directly into Chloe's eyes, her face a mask of seriousness. “Please don't do anything rash, okay?”

“What?” The suddenness of this stunned Chloe. “Did you find her? Is she in there?”

“Yes, she is. She's at the bar.” Chloe immediately started to move but Steph tightened her grip. “Listen to me. I know you're probably really worked up about this, but please try not to make a scene. Talk to her, okay? Save the screaming and fighting for later.”

“Yeah. Sure, whatever. Just let me go see her.”

Chloe felt Steph release her, and she almost ran to the hallway. Her instinct told her to go as quickly as possible, but Steph's words slowed her down. _Talk to her. Easy._

Inside, the barroom was almost as packed as the dance floor. People filled every seat and those that didn’t hovered around the clustered tables. Everyone in here was noticeably older compared to the barely-legal dancers outside. It seemed like the preferred the party over the bar atmosphere.

Immediately, Chloe spotted her. Her hair was closer to a proper blonde, and she no longer wore the blue feather on her ear, but her face and body were unmistakable. After so many months, nothing more than a letter and the remnants of deleted social media, she was here.

She was talking to an older man, obviously flirting, though Chloe couldn't hear the words they spoke. Rachel let out a floating laugh, barely too much effort to be real, and she had a hand on his arm.

Chloe didn't know what to feel. She expected rage, or desperation, or even sadness. But the only emotion that flowed through her was excitement. Rachel was her angel, and she was back. The only question was, how would she react to seeing Chloe again? She had abandoned her with no warning once already, and what would Chloe do if she refused to talk.

There was only one way to find out. Almost in a daze, Chloe's legs moved her forward, over to the bar. Rachel was facing the other way and didn't see her approach. The older man's eyes flickered to her, but he didn't pay her any mind.

_Just say it. Don't be scared._

“Uh... hi, Rachel.” Chloe's voice cracked, and it was fortunate this room was quieter than the other. She wouldn't be able to bring herself to yell.

At the sound of her voice, Rachel turned. Her eyes were slightly out of focus; she was bordering on 'completely drunk', and it took her a moment to recognize Chloe. When she did, it was obvious. The color drained out of her face and her breathing stopped.

“Jim...?” She stared at Chloe, but she wasn't speaking to her. “Jim!”

The handsome bartender behind the counter, presumably Jim, came over at the call. “Something wrong, Jess? You know these two?”

Apparently, Steph had come over at some point, and Chloe hadn't noticed.

“Get them out of here.” Rachel's voice was soft. “Angel. This is a serious Angel. Please, tell them to go.”

“Whoa, Rach, come on,” Chloe started.

Quick as a flash, Rachel moved behind the bar. The bartender crossed his arms and set his face in a mask of practiced hardness. “I think you two should leave.” His tone left no room for argument.

Regardless, Chloe wasn't backing down. “What? Rachel, you can't just kick us out like this.” She turned to the bartender. “We're her friends, okay? All we want to do is talk.”

“If you don't leave right now, I will call security.”

“Please, Rachel,” Chloe pleaded.

“Chloe, I think we should go.” Steph pulled on her arm, trying to get her away. They were causing a scene. Most of the conversations nearby had stopped, and everyone was looking at them.

Chloe kept staring at Rachel, hoping that she would change her mind, but she still only held that shocked expression. She looked frightened of Chloe, more than anything.

Eventually, Chloe into Steph's pull. She kept her eyes on Rachel for as long as she could until they were back near the exit. The bartender stood blocking the way back in to make sure they left, but Chloe had no reason to stay. She let herself be pulled along behind Steph, outside and back up the stairs.

“ _Fuck!_ ” The scream came out without warning. “All this way and she doesn't even listen. What the fuck was even the point?”

“Chloe.” Steph had taken several steps back. “Please try to calm down.”

“I should just go. This was a goddamn mistake.”

“This wasn't a mistake. It just didn't go so well this time. We can find a way to talk to her, alright?”

“How?” Chloe was practically yelling. “If we go back in there, they'll probably call the cops. Then we'll have bigger problems.”

“Look, she has to come out sometime. This is the only exit, so if we wait here, we can catch her when she leaves.”

Steph had a good point, but there was no telling how long that would take. This place would be open for several more hours, and they couldn't risk leaving on the chance that Rachel would slip past them.

“There's a bench right over here we can sit at,” Steph continued. “It might be a while, but it'll work.”

Chloe walked over and saw that Steph was right. They would have the perfect vantage to the stairs up from the club, and they wouldn't miss anyone going in or out.

“Okay... we can try this.”

It was a cold night out, and though they both wore jackets, eventually the chill would get to them. Chloe considered it worth it, given how far she had come. She would have to tell Steph thank you again for everything. Blindly searching, waiting for hours, supporting her through all of this. At least Chloe had one friend who hadn't betrayed her.

-~-

“Chloe, look!” Steph's voice startled her to attention. It seemed she had dozed off at some point. Now alert, Chloe followed her gaze and saw Rachel slowly climbing the final few steps of the stairs. Both her hands were grasping for life on the rail, and her movement was unsteady. It took her several seconds to find her footing on each step. From how out of it she looked, it was a miracle she had made it the entire way up. She must have had practice.

When she reached the top, she only stood there for several seconds, hands still glued to the rail. She took a cautious step away, but immediately lost her stance and tumbled to her hands and knees.

Chloe didn't wait any longer. She dashed over to Rachel and grabbed her arm, helping her up. Steph followed behind a moment later to keep her steady.

“Rachel...?” Chloe whispered.

It took Rachel some time to roll her head up to look at Chloe. Her eyes were half-shut and her pupils wouldn't stay steady. Some sounds that might have been words came out of her mouth, but Chloe couldn't understand what she was trying to say. One thing Chloe noticed: her makeup trailed from her eyes. She had been crying.

“Dammit, Rach.” She was out of it, and in no position to talk. How much had she had to drink? “What do we do?”

“We don't know where she lives,” Steph said, “and I don't know if she's got anyone waiting for her. We can take her back to my place and let her sleep it off. I'd rather not let her wander around like this.”

“Agreed.”

By this point, Rachel had almost completely stopped attempting to hold herself up, which meant that Steph and Chloe were practically carrying her. It was a decent walk to where Steph's car was parked, and Chloe was thankful no one stopped to question them. Two people carrying an incoherent girl to their car wouldn't be easy to explain.

Soon enough, they had her buckled into the back seat and were off back to Steph's apartment. Rachel had begun to lightly snore, but even so, Chloe couldn't keep her eyes off of her through the mirror.

“God,” Chloe began. “I can't believe we found her.”

“Yeah. How do you feel?”

Chloe thought for a moment. “I don't know. I thought I would be furious with her, after everything...”

“But...?” Steph prodded.

“But honestly, right now I'm just happy she's okay. Before you showed up, I thought she might have gotten herself killed. Popped one too many pills, pissed off another drug dealer, something like that. She wasn't doing well, near the end.”

“It sounds like things were rough.”

“They were. But I loved her, and I thought she felt the same way.” Chloe sighed. “It's almost like Max was, in a way. When she came back, I forgave her almost immediately. I know I _should_ blame Rachel for this, at least a little.”

“There's nothing you _should_ do, Chloe. If you don't want to be mad, then don't. Let her explain herself, and it's up to no one but you to forgive her.”

“Yeah...”

They drove the rest of the way back to Steph's in silence. They left the radio off to not wake Rachel, so all Chloe had was the hum of the street passing by.

Fortunately, with the late hour, traffic was easy, and they were back in almost no time. It took some effort to carry Rachel up, her limp body making the trip difficult, but they made it without dropping her. Steph set her in her bed, on her side in case she threw up, and shut the door, letting her rest.

“We'll have to check on her every so often to make sure she's okay. Her breathing is strong enough, though, which is good.”

“Good,” Chloe said. “Yeah, good.”

“You should try to get some sleep. I can stay up to watch.”

“I don't know if I can,” Chloe said truthfully. “With everything... I'm worried, you know?”

“I know.” Steph took a seat in one of her chairs and pulled out her phone. “But try anyway. It's been a long day. I'll be fine, I'm used to pulling all-nighters.”

“Are you sure?”

“Go to sleep, Chloe. You'll need it.”

Unsure if it was even possible, Chloe gathered the blanket and pillow she had used yesterday and turned off the light. Her mind never stopped thinking of horrible possibilities and terrible ways this could go, but she would at least give the effort of trying to get some rest. She bundled herself up and lay down so she had vision of the bedroom door.

The act of even making the motion of going to bed was powerful, it seemed. The longer Chloe lay there in the dark waiting, the more her body begged for sleep. She tried to keep herself alert, on the minuscule chance that Rachel would wake, but it was a lost cause. Sleep took her before she realized.

-~-

_It's not as simple as you make it seem, you know._

William sat behind a bar, pouring drinks. There was no one else in the room.

_Betrayal comes from the most unlikely places._

He poured out two sickly green concoctions and set one down in front of her.

_Sometimes there's an explanation._

He put a finger to his mouth in a comical _shush._

_And sometimes there isn't._

Words came from him, though his mouth never moved.

_These sorts of things are all on you._

She grabbed the glass and peered inside. Small bits of something unknown floated within.

_You can choose to forgive._

The bits looked a little like flowers from one angle.

_Or you can carry around that weight like an anchor._

But when she tilted her head, they seemed more like shards of glass.

_It's not up to me to tell you what to do._

He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to drink.

_And of course, you can choose nothing at all._

She raised the glass to her lips, but the liquid disappeared before she could drink it.

_Though isn't that still a choice?_

He raised his own drink in a toast, before swallowing it all in a single gulp.

_Don't blame yourself. That's all I ask._

The green burned through his throat, escaping into tiny flames that enveloped his entire body.

_Goodnight, sweetpea._

-~-

“Hey, wake up.”

A familiar voice pierced through the blanket of sleep. Soon after, a slight shake properly awoke Chloe from her deep slumber. It took her several moments to sit up and orient herself. Light streamed through the curtains, and the clock said that it was past noon. She had managed to sleep for almost twelve hours.

Steph stood in front of her, a cup of hot coffee in her hand. A part of Chloe was quietly sad that the voice wasn't Rachel's, but it was better that it wasn't.

“Is she still in there?” Chloe asked.

“She just woke up, I think. I heard her moving around, so I woke you. Are you good to handle this?”

“Yeah. I can do this.”

“All right.” Steph nodded. “I'll go wait outside. Text or yell if you need me.”

One last look to make sure, and Steph left out the front door, leaving Chloe alone. It was quiet in the apartment, but Chloe knew it wouldn't be for long. Rachel was awake in the other room.

Chloe took a few deep breaths before walking over to the bedroom door. She put her ear to it and heard a quiet shuffling, nothing more. After a knock, she spoke, loud enough to carry through.

“Rach... Rachel? It's, uh, Chloe.”

No response came for several moments. Just before she would open the door to make sure she hadn't somehow snuck out, Rachel's faint voice came floating through.

“Where am I?”

“You're at Steph's apartment. Steph Gingrich.” No response. “We brought you back here. You were stumbling all over the place. It wasn't safe.”

“What do you want?.”

Chloe let out a strained sigh. “Can you please come out here, so we can talk face-to-face?”

The door opened, revealing Rachel in the same prettied-up clothes she had worn last night. Though even in this whole terrible situation, Chloe would've said she was beautiful. 

“Hi, Chloe.”

Her hair was a mess, and her makeup was ruined, but she still had that sort of shining glow that made her _Rachel Amber_. It was both different and her all at once. Now, in the light, there were some differences that Chloe could notice. Her skin was paler than Chloe remembered, and she had lost several pounds.

“Let's talk.” Rachel had her arms crossed protectively, and she held her head down. It reminded Chloe of Max when she was in a crowd where she didn't know anyone. Fear. _She's scared of you._

Chloe walked over and sat down in one of the chairs near the kitchen, and Rachel took the one across from her.

Before Chloe could think of what to say, Rachel spoke. “You shouldn't have come, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't good to see you.”

“Then why did you make them kick us out?”

Rachel averted her gaze. “I was scared. I didn't know what you would do.”

“ _Do_?” Chloe's voice rose, and Rachel noticeably flinched. “I wasn't going to _do_ anything. I only wanted to find out what happened. That's all.”

“Okay...” Rachel looked back at Chloe, though her head stayed low. “Ask away.”

This was it. Rachel was in front of her, talking. Chloe had so many questions, so she picked one to begin with.

“Why did you leave? A letter that said nothing, and you go and disappear off the face of the earth? Just... why?”

“Things back in Arcadia got too much for me. I left Rachel's life behind to start a new one as Jess. It was always my dream to come out here, and so I did.”

“It was our dream,” Chloe stressed.

Rachel shook her head. “It was mine, and I was yours. You would've followed me anywhere, to the ends of the earth. I know how much you loved me.”

Chloe couldn't deny it. It was true. But what was the point? “Did you love me back?”

“Oh, Chloe.” Rachel finally raised her head to look at Chloe properly. “I love you so much. I know I didn't always show it so well, but I did.”

“How's that? By cheating on me with Frank? 'They changed your life', isn't that what you said?”

Rachel lowered her head again, now staring at the table between them. “That wasn't about Frank,” she whispered.

“Oh, there was someone else then?” Chloe was getting worked up. One man on the side was one thing, but _two_? “How the fuck can you say you loved me if you were slutting it up behind my back? Who was the other guy?”

“You're not going to like it.”

“Who was it?” Chloe snarled. “Justin? Nathan?”

“...Mark Jefferson.”

The revelation stunned Chloe. Not only a teacher but a convicted murderer. “You slept with that psychopath?”

“I knew he wasn't... safe," Rachel struggled to control her words, "but he helped me in ways that no one could. It wasn't about the sex, or even the drugs he got me. He showed me how I could be free.”

“What the fuck does that even mean? Did you know he kidnapped all those girls? Did you know he killed a student from Blackwell?”

“Stella Hill. I remember.” Rachel's breathing quickened. Small spots of tears grew from the edges of her eyes, and she shook as she spoke. “I know he took her. I know she got too much of his sedative. I know she disappeared that Spring and almost no one cared.”

“Rachel...” The way she was shaking scared Chloe.

“I know exactly what happened to her, because I was a part of it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _They can't all be angels..._  
>    
> Fun fact: In the very earliest outlines of this story, one of the reveals was that Rachel was cheating on Chloe with Old Max. Wouldn't that have been a twist?
> 
> Thanks again for all the comments. I love hearing what you have to say.
> 
> We'll be back to Max again next week.
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Next chapter: 1-11


	22. A Twisted Strand of Time

“ _Nathan, you better open up right now, or I am calling the cops.” Victoria slammed her hand repeatedly against the wooden door. It would likely wake the whole floor, but she didn't care._

_Right before she gave up, the entrance flew open. She barely caught her hand before she accidentally slapped Nathan in the face._

“ _Here. I'm alive. Happy?”_

_'Alive' was the barest minimum she expected, and even that was a stretch. Nathan had clearly been crying, and she saw long, dull scratches of irritated skin up his arm. He only did that when extremely stressed._

_Victoria didn't hesitate. She forced herself through the doorway and slammed it shut behind her. Without warning, she embraced Nathan and didn't let him go, even though he weakly fought against it._

“ _Don't you dare fucking do that again.” The moment she had woken up and saw the message, she rushed over, pausing only to throw on random clothes. The entire way, she worried about what she might find._

“ _I'm fine, V. You know, sometimes I need my space.”_

_Victoria still held him and shook her head in his neck. “This was different. I can tell. You scared me, Nate. What happened?”_

“ _Don't worry about it. I... had someone there.”_

“ _Who?” The only person with that much power to get Nathan to do anything was Victoria herself._

“ _I'll explain later.” A pause. “Can we hang out today? I want to be ready for the party tomorrow.”_

_That raised more questions than it answered, but Victoria was just thankful she would have time to ask them. She'd have to find out more later._

_“Whatever you need.”_

-Final Timeline, October 9th

* * *

More and more the strands of time twisted in upon themselves. With care, they could be unraveled and fixed, but trying to press through with brute force would only lead them to snap back like a band.

She couldn't blame Max for not knowing. God only knew how long it took herself to figure it out. Still, ignorance did not solve problems.

It was hypocritical for her to say that of Max, when she knew that she knew little. Answers were few and far between, explanations even rarer than that. Reasoning was unheard of. All she knew was that things worked as they did, and she would have to accept it. Like a machine whose insides were locked away from prying eyes, yet worked tirelessly without fail.

Sometimes, she thought maybe it wasn't worth it. It started out noble, but like many quests, it veered into self-interest. Or possibly self-interest was where it began. It didn't matter. Once she started, it immediately became too late to stop. Nobility was an afterthought, and all that remained was survival.

Can you compromise with something that cannot think? And even if you could, what do you do when nothing is satisfactory? Conflict was inevitable.

Still, some things could be salvaged. All she could previously do was watch and wait, with a single exception to keep her victory secure, but now an opportunity arose. Unexpected, yet helpful. A second chance.

Her voice rusted with time, she spoke once more and forever. A single note that entropy beget.

“Oh. Welcome back.”

-~-

The voice called out to her, but Max could not see from where. There weren't many places to hide in this strange realm.

"Up here."

Max looked up and saw a figure sitting on the rock nearest to her. She couldn't make out who it was in the darkness, but she saw it shuffle around slightly. The figure pushed itself off of its perch and zipped toward the ground. Right before it would have impacted, it was suddenly safely standing in front of her, as if it had teleported the final distance.

Max's own face stared back at her. The other Max wore a gray hoodie over a pink _Jane Doe_ shirt, but other than their choice of clothing, they were exactly the same. Even so, something seemed off.

“I didn't expect to see you again,” the other Max said, “but honestly, I guess I'm not surprised. You can't just leave things alone, can you?”

“Again?” When had they met before?

“The last time you were here, remember?” Receiving only a blank stare, the other Max continued. “We bumped into each other right before you returned. It's rare I get surprised like that.”

“I don't remember ever seeing you here.” Max's memory of her previous visit was faded, like a dream, but she would definitely have remembered seeing another version of herself, right?

“Of course you don't.” A pause. “Do you know who I am, at least?”

“You're Old Max?”

“That's right.” She thought for a moment. “I know it's petty, but that's kind of a dumb name. Why not something like Alpha Max? Or Max Prime? Old Max just makes me sound like a grandpa.”

“Uh... sorry?” Max said. She wasn’t sure how else to respond.

Old Max shook her head. “It's fine. I guess it's technically correct. I am older than you. Anyway, I know you have questions, but with how this works I don't even have time to explain what I don't have time to explain. There's too much at stake here.”

Max was not prepared for this. She had so many things she wanted to ask, but she wasn't expecting to have an interview with her past self. How long would she have here? Where even was here? Could she return if she wanted? Had Old Max been waiting here this whole time? If she was right that she would be gone soon-

“Max.” Rapid finger snaps in front of her face startled her. “This isn't the time to zone out again. You need to pay attention.”

She hadn't even realized she had gotten lost in her mind. Focus, right.

“I don't know exactly what this place is, but it's where I've been since you showed up. These floating rocks are either manifestations of other Maxes, or their memories. Honestly, I don't know which I would prefer.

“Other Maxes? How many of us are there?” As far as Max counted, there were only about four.

“Seventy-six. Well, seventy-seven now. Every time you carelessly use a photojump, it creates another Max. You shouldn't have done that.”

“I only wanted to find out what happened,” Max said as she crossed her arms. “I woke up knowing nothing and immediately finding out that I have superpowers. After reading my journal, I needed to know. Just one question. What happened to you?”

Old Max bit her lip. “Near the end, it got harder and harder to keep things in line. Most of my attempts were subtle, but sometimes I had to take matters into my own hands. She was scared, yes, but all that time I gave her was more than she would have had otherwise. I guess it is my fault, in that way.”

Old Max admitted it, and the guilt was written over her face. _She_ was the 'bodysnatcher', and another version of herself was gone because of it.

“What happened to her?” Max asked.

Old Max put her hand on the rock she jumped off of. “The same thing that happened every other time.”

So many Maxes, taken away or lost. Was she planning to do the same to her?

“You don't need to worry,” she continued, seeing the look on Max's face. “I couldn't take over again even if I wanted to. Believe me, I tried my hardest not to interfere. The storm is apocalyptic, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that. Thousands of people, dead in each one, and their number only grew the more I interfered.”

“What... do I do about it?”

“Nothing.” Old Max said plainly. It was a fact. “You do absolutely nothing. All those lifetimes I watched were spent solving this problem one decision at a time, and I succeeded. What you need to do is go back to your present, wait for Chloe, and live your life. I know you care for her, you always do, but your life is yours to live. Forget about all of this and move on. I've earned your happy ending.”

“That's it? What about the things I can't remember? Or the sounds, the journal, my powers making me lose time? What if that means the storm is still coming?”

Old Max looked down at her feet. “Time travel isn't easy on the mind, Max. You took the brunt of it, and I got out unscathed, it seems. I don't know why you of all the Maxes were strongest, but you were. Still... Those journal entries really were there the first time you read it. You hear things that don't exist. Your powers have nothing to do with your periods of lost time. I don't know if you'll ever get your memories back, but if you’ve had nothing solid return yet, I wouldn't hold out hope. I'm sorry, Max.”

Max wouldn’t get her memories back. Half of her life, relegated to faint impressions and nothing more. All her friends, all those moments, words and sights and sounds. Gone forever, if this other Max was right.

She needed to sit. Max stumbled over in thought and crossed her legs in front of the floating rock. It hovered just low enough to rest her head against. She realized she easily could have been one of these memories as well.

Old Max sat down next to her, careful to leave space between them. “I'm sorry I was so rude at first. I haven't had too many conversations I haven't planned out several dozen times in a while. You deserve to be happy. Honestly. Even if this is the best I can give you. Trust me, there are some things you're better off not knowing. Still. Sorry.”

“It's okay.” Max didn't know if she said it truthfully. “What happens to you when I go back? You see everything that's happening, so do you just sit here and wait? Can you leave?”

Old Max shook her head again. “This place doesn't last forever. I don't know why, but the memories are disappearing, one by one. I'll be gone soon too, I think. For me to get out... it's best not to think about it.” She paused, then suddenly sat up straight. “Looks like it's time for you to go. There's so much more I wish I could tell you, but it will have to wait. We'll see each other one more time. But for now, goodbye. This might hurt. A Max always has to come back.”

“Huh? What does tha-”

-~-

"I'm tellin' you, we should take her to the hospital."

"And I'm telling _you_ , dude, we aren't taking her anywhere."

"Jesus fucking Christ. If she dies on my goddamn bed, I'm going to be pissed."

"Whatever."

The voices sounded muddy as if coming from several rooms over. Max tried to focus on the words, but it only made them more difficult to understand. She was laying somewhere soft while an off-white color dominated her vision. A numbness overtook her body; she couldn't feel her limbs.

“Don't 'whatever' me. How the fuck was I supposed to know your girlfriend would have another goddamn seizure in the middle of the forest? How long are you going to wait before I call the hospital to take her?”

“If you had just _told_ us what we were walking into, maybe she wouldn't have been so overwhelmed. Trust me, she'll be okay.”

“Trust you? If she has to spend another night here, I'm not gonna leave it up to you.”

Suddenly, all feeling returned. In place of the numbness came pain. A searing hot flame melted through her head and sharp needles stung her fingers. Her mouth filled with a thick, coppery liquid, so bitter she choked on it. At some point, she had thrown herself into a sitting position, though she barely recognized the difference.

“Oh shit. Max, can you hear me? Nathan, grab a towel!” A slight shaking made Max feel worse. She wanted to puke, but even that slight effort was too much. “ _Goddammit Nathan!_ ”

The shaking stopped, but several moments later a fluffy white object stuffed itself in her face. It stopped the flow of pennies into her mouth, but she could barely breathe around it. The needles in her extremities slowly faded into the cold of icy water as she thrashed to push the object away.

“...yeah she just suddenly sat up and started screaming and fuckin' flailing.” The object in her face lightened up slightly. “No. She doesn't drink. No drugs, I think. She's a straight-edge.”

“Can you please just hang up and help me out here? She's calming down. We don't need an ambulance, seriously.”

Finally, color began to fade into Max's vision. Over the white object in her face, she saw a tuft of blue hovering over a plate of pink. More words were spoken, and she could barely understand them.

“Her friends, yeah. I don't think she can speak, but she's breathing. No, nothing like that.”

“Hey, Max? You there?”

The blue solidified into strands of hair, and the pink condensed into a face. It took Max longer than it should have to recognize who was in front of her.

“Chloe?” Her mouth ached with the effort of the single word.

“Yeah, now she's trying to say somethin',” the formless shape at the edge of her vision said, “but get here as fast as you can. Max, if you can hear me, stay calm. We're gonna get you to the doctor's, all right?”

 _A doctor_? That wouldn't work. The pain in her head was rapidly dulling to one of her normal headaches. A doctor would be as useless as last time.

“I don't need one.” Her jaw didn't fit right in her mouth. She reached up and pulled the white form away from her face and threw the towel to the side. Her nose had stopped bleeding. “What time is it?”

“Uh-huh. Yeah, thanks, just hurry.” Nathan revealed himself to be the other form in the room, and he lowered a phone from his ear and stuck it in his pocket. He turned to address Max. “Like shit you don't need one. You've been out of it for days.”

“It's Friday morning,” Chloe said. “After you passed out in the bunker, we took you to Nathan's. You've had a pretty gnarly fever, but it looks like it's done now.” She put her hand to Max's head to check. “Oh, right. Which, uh, _you_ are you?”

Nathan raised an eyebrow at the strange question.

“The same one,” Max replied. “I remember going into the bunker, then I was back in that place with the floating rocks. I saw Old Max there, too.”

“Old Max? How does that work? Did you talk to her?”

Max nodded her head. “She told me she was the one who a different Max was scared of in my journal. She wanted me to stop trying to find out what happened, in case I ruined things. So many other lifetimes she spent trying to stop the apocalypse.”

“Okay, what the actual fuck,” Nathan interrupted. “Apocalypse? Different Max? You talked to yourself? Maybe I was wrong, you are both high.”

“Shut up, Nathan. We don't have time for this,” Chloe said.

Max didn't have time to explain, but she couldn't let him waste time asking questions. If an ambulance was on its way, she needed to jump back before it got here. “There was a deadly storm coming to wipe out the town, and apparently I stopped it.” She took a pause to breathe; the flurry of words difficult. “I talked to my past self, and now I'm back here. I need to tell Chloe this, so please let us talk.”

“Wait, a storm?” Nathan continued over the stink eye Chloe gave him. “That bunker was a storm bunker. I remember my dad tellin' me it was important, and I'd know when it was needed. After I heard what happened, I thought he meant it had something to do with the Photography teacher, but what if he knew about the storm?”

“Your dad, did he work with Jefferson? Did he know what was going on?” Chloe asked.

Nathan gave a tight shrug. “I don't fuckin' know. All he told me was that he had that place just in case, and that he had someone he wanted me to work with. Then out of the blue, before he could explain, he dropped it. Said that the guy found someone else. This was all like last year, though. I know Max didn't have anything to do with that.”

Max shook her head. “I was in Seattle, I think. But I found out that I threatened Sean Prescott anonymously at least once in September. I don't know what I wanted him to do. Do you know anything about that?”

“You threatened my dad? Not many people get away with that, even if they're tryin' to hide. But no, that's news to me.”

“Thanks, Nathan,” Max said. She turned back to Chloe. “So what do you think we should do?”

Chloe ran her hand through her hair. “Honestly, I don't know. If Old Max said to drop it, maybe we should? But then again, what if she's trying to hide something from us?”

“I don't think she is,” Max said after thinking for a moment. “She seemed like she wanted to tell me more, but didn't have time. And I don't think she hurt any other Maxes intentionally. I've been thinking about this too. Every time I photojump, another me is created, and they act just like I do. But when I return, they're gone. Did I kill them?”

“That's...” Chloe took a moment to think. “They're all _you_ , right? But does that mean that all those copies of me and everyone else in the world die too? It might be best not to worry about it.”

Unfortunately, from the look on Chloe's face, worrying about it was all she was doing. Max wasn't the kind of person to drop something like this, but she might have to after what she learned. She couldn't afford to keep jumping around wildly looking for answers.

A series of heavy knocks from downstairs rang up before Max could respond.

“Thank fuck,” Nathan said, moving toward the door. “You two got a lot to explain when we get to the hospital. I'm still not sure whether to think you're both crazy or there's something more goin' on that I don't know. I'll be looking for answers.” He punctuated his last sentence with a glare at Max before leaving to head downstairs.

“So, are you going with them or heading back?” Chloe asked. She held Max's hand as she spoke.

“I need to go,” Max decided. “I don't want to try to explain any of this to the doctor.” All of her pain had subsided into a dull ache by this point. Whatever it was, it had passed.

“Good idea.” Chloe reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “I honestly don't trust those quacks. If you had seen what I did, how they were working, you wouldn't want to go back. Bay Medical is a joke, but I'm glad they didn't send you to Seattle.”

“Thanks for being there, Chloe.”

She quickly maneuvered to the photo of the two of them on her bed with Max falling through the background in a photobomb. A smile crept onto her face as she held the phone out to Max.

“Always, Max. Now I'm not gonna remember this, so you better tell me again when you get back.” She leaned in and gave Max a soft peck on the cheek. “Now you get outta here.”

Heavy footsteps pounded up what sounded like stairs outside the door. They would be here soon, but Max could waste a moment. Before Chloe could fully pull away, she reached in to turn her head and give her a deep kiss. Chloe quickly overcame her surprise and returned it. If the dried remnants of blood on her face bothered her, she didn't show it.

Max broke the kiss and pulled the phone up. Out of the corner of her vision, the door open and people rushed in, but the white light quickly enveloped them. Max was ready when the world faded away.

-~-

Max returned to Chloe's room, back on that Wednesday morning.

“Never took you for such a photohog,” Chloe said for the third time.

“I never took you as one for selfies, either,” Max replied. This whole situation was silly.

“Touché, Caulfield.”

The white border surrounded the room, as was to be expected. Fast-forwarding would get everything exactly as it was before, but she couldn't risk overshooting or being spotted dropping out of it again. She would have to do this manually.

First, she reached out and comforted Chloe as best she could. Going through this conversation again, there are some things she would have said differently, but she couldn't risk even the smallest change. Even so, it still pained her to know that Chloe was hurting.

Next was one cause of that hurt. Though the wall of white had advanced to only encircle the bed, she could still hear David's voice talking to them. Chloe tensed up, the same as last time, and Max held her until it was over. Max readied her next line, but there was no need to say it. The white rushed in to take her once more.

-~-

Max came to her senses and saw that she was back in her room. At first glance, everything looked exactly as she left it. The only notable difference she saw was that it was slightly brighter outside. A quick check of her phone told her that it wasn't even a half-hour later than when she had left. Her messages with Chloe were exactly the same. From what she could tell, the past was back to normal.

Still, something seemed off. Nothing physical, but there was a feeling that not everything was right. It felt like... an itch.

That was exactly it. Max realized she still hadn't returned from her very first jump back. Even though she was back in her room, she was technically in a photojump. That itch of her power begging to return still remained, only she had ignored it for so long that she had forgotten about it.

Where would this take her? Would she jump back to exactly the same place? Possibly earlier, if her judge of time was right. She could probably stay where she was and keep going normally, but there was no telling of any side effects that might bring. Heck, she had already held it longer than she intended already.

For her third travel through time in less than ten minutes, Max raised her hand and let herself go. As she did so, only with the release of her power did she realize just how tense she was, and how much effort it took. She almost felt like she was flying as time took her, for hopefully the final time.

-~-

Max didn't recognize where she ended up. It seemed like some sort of small house, only stuffed into the width of a large hallway. It was only when she looked past the curtained windows and saw a sandy beach leading into water that she realized it was an RV. Standing with her arms crossed to Max's left was a girl whose face only showed calm surprise. She wore a nice, probably expensive dress. It was a far cry from the casual wear she wore at the party.

“Victoria?” What was she doing here? Where even was _here_?

“Don't look at me,” she said, raising a hand defensively.

“Yeah, I'm talkin' to you, girlie.” This voice came from in front of Max, sitting in a chair in front of her. His dark clothes hid him in the barely lit interior of the vehicle. “You better answer my question. I don't like being made a fool.”

Taking a better look at him, Max saw that he was a blonde man with a messy goatee. He looked fierce and even sitting down he towered over her. On the table behind him was a gun, easily within his reach, and the sight sent a chill down Max's spine.

“Come on, Frank. She doesn't know.” Victoria said. Her voice was a mixture of annoyance and confusion, directed at the man. _You and me both_.

“Uh...” What was she going to do? “Can you repeat the question?”

Frank brought his hand over his face in an audible slap. “Holy fuck.” He whispered a few other things under this breath that Max couldn't catch. “I _said_ , what the hell are you doing back here? I told you if I saw you again you'd regret it.”

Max didn't know how exactly she got here, and it seems she stumbled into another problem Old Max had left for her. What were the chances? This guy seemed like bad news.

The first option to her mind was to tell the truth. “Um. I don't know who you are. I'm sorry if I did something wrong, but I don't really remember much of the past few months. I was in an accident.”

The man barked out a laugh at that. “Pretty convenient, isn't it?”

“It's the truth, Frank,” Victoria intervened. “She has no idea what she did, and you need to lay off. You're scaring her.”

Max never expected Victoria to be the one to come to her aid, but she was grateful she did. Frank didn’t intimidate her, at least.

“ _She's_ the scared one?” Frank looked incredulously at Victoria, then back at Max. “I don't buy it. You don't break into my house and threaten me like she did, only to try to play this shit. I want an explanation.”

“Well, she can't give you one. And since she's moved here, I know she isn't the kind of person to do anything like that. You must have her confused with someone else.”

Frank shook his head, keeping his eyes on Max. “No. I remember that face. That kind of cash set me up for a year, and someone like her doesn't get that without doing a few illegal deeds.” He popped the final words out of his mouth.

“A year?” Max finally said. That didn't add up. “When did this happen?”

“What is this, an interrogation?”

Victoria pressed him too. “Max only moved here a couple of months ago for school.”

“Maybe she was on vacation,” Frank sneered. “But fine. It happened last year, around July. I come home, find you waitin' here for me. I try to pull my gun up for an intruder but you somehow knock me flat on my ass. Then you hand me, I shit you not, a literal burlap sack full of cash, telling me how it's to pay a debt for one of my clients, except they hadn't made the debt yet. That's it. I got a guy to deal with cleaning it, but even after his cut, it was enough to have me sitting pretty. That's the story.”

That seemed... odd, but not necessarily impossible from what Max knew of Old Max. The question was, who was the debt for, and why did she find it necessary to threaten him like that? Max would have to ask Chloe if she knew anything about this.

Naturally, Victoria dismissed it out of hand. “Yeah, that's a load of bullshit, Frank. You could have picked literally any other person, but you call out the nicest, most kindhearted person at Blackwell. Try taking a little less of your own stash next time.”

“Fine, whatever.” Frank threw his hands up. “It was some other karate know-it-all teenage rich bitch. Honestly, I don't give a fuck. I just wanted an explanation since you found it in your heart to just waltz on in here. But if that's how it's goin' to be, then get the hell out of my house.”

Max was ready to leave; she needed to find out what else was going on, and how much time she had lost. Victoria tried to argue, but quieted when Frank grabbed his gun and slammed the door open. She followed Max out onto the beach. It was morning, from what Max could tell of the sun.

“So honestly,” she began, and led Max over to the nearby parking area, “do you have any idea what he was talking about?”

Max shook her head. “No clue.” Not entirely a lie.

“I know Frank's an ass, but don't let him scare you. Whatever he got into his mind, he'll get over. Still, it's best you try to avoid him, just in case.”

“I'll keep that in mind.” Another unsolved mystery.

Victoria pulled out her phone and quickly checked the time. “We need to get going. I have a thing with Taylor soon. I didn't expect that to take so long, and I couldn't even get what I needed.”

Max felt for her own phone, but couldn't find it. Maybe it was in her bag, wherever that was?

They silently walked over to Victoria's car, a roomy, expensive thing, and Max hopped in the passenger's seat. On the floorboard beneath her was her satchel, and she dug through it to look for her phone. It wasn't there either.

“Victoria, have you seen my phone?” It was worth a shot.

She shook her head. “You said you misplaced it, remember? I would help you look for it when we got back.”

“Right, sorry.”

Victoria started the vehicle, and they drove off. Blackwell wasn't too far from where they were, so it wouldn't be a long trip. Though the question remained, what was she doing out with Victoria, and why did they go see Frank?

On the center dash of the car, a clock blinked, with the date shown just below. _Sunday, November 10_. Max had left on Friday morning, which meant that two whole days were gone. It seemed that all the time she had spent in the original photojump carried over when she returned.

“I'm glad we did this, Max,” Victoria said, keeping her focus on the road. “We should make a habit of it, if you would like? Not the part with Frank, of course, but the rest of it. I can deal with him on my own time.”

“Uh, yeah. I'd like that.” Max wasn't sure what she agreed to, but Victoria seemed pleased by her answer.

“Good! Arcadia Bay doesn't have a wide selection of good food, but I'm sure I can find something else for breakfast next time. Or we could go for a bit of a drive somewhere if you're ever in the mood. I do enjoy spending time together, and I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you at first. You're better than most people give you credit for.”

That was one of the nicest things Max had ever heard her say, and if she was extending the olive branch, Max was going to take it. “That's okay, Victoria. It's all in the past. It doesn't matter anymore.”

Victoria gave a slight, practiced smile as she continued driving, and Max was relieved. Apparently, the two of them simply spent some time together as a treat, and Victoria was attempting to be friends after their chat. Thankfully, that meant that was one question solved.

Only hundreds more to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We might need a flowchart for all this.
> 
> Also, 100k words! Way more than I ever expected that I would hit. Thanks everyone for all your support!
> 
> Thanks for reading.
> 
> Next chapter: 1-18


	23. Runaway/Picking up the Pieces

_"C'mon, Chloe! Shake that bony ass!"_

_The music from the old stereo thumped through the small shack, rocking the table with every beat. It was fortunate they were so isolated this far from town; no neighbors to complain._

_"Bony? I'll have you know my ass is plenty plump. We can't all be as genetically gifted as you."_

_Rachel laughed at that, but she didn't stop dancing. Chloe moved closer to her with every sway of her body until they were face to face. There was no need to press together in their two-person mosh, but neither of them were complaining._

_"So you think I'm gifted?" A classic Rachel move, fishing for more compliments._

_Fortunately, Chloe had plenty to give. "There and everywhere else. You really are beautiful, Rach."_

_She couldn't resist. She leaned in for a kiss and Rachel was more than happy to oblige._

_"I love you," said one of them._

-Final Timeline, June 15th, 2011

* * *

It took Chloe several moments to register what Rachel said. She was a part of Stella's death. Did that mean...?

"At the time, I didn't understand what happened," Rachel continued. She couldn't make eye contact with Chloe. "Mark had a studio hidden outside of town where we frequently met, and one day when I showed up to pose for him, Stella was there too. She was out of it, and I assumed she was on something. I was usually high on his stuff when we met, so I didn't think too much of it. I should've realized then."

"Rachel..." Chloe started to say, but was quickly interrupted.

"Please. Let me say this." Rachel could barely speak as it was, and so Chloe didn't stop her. "She was barely conscious, and soon enough so was I. Mark liked it when I was..." She searched for the word. "...relaxed. Near the end, she stopped struggling, and then she stopped moving. I asked him if she was okay, and he said she was fine and to go home. I only figured out what happened when she didn't show up at school the next day."

What does Chloe even say to that? "Why didn't you call the cops?"

"I... don't know. Maybe a little, I believed him. He said that Stella was stressed, and whatever happened to her wasn't our fault. That, I could live with."

"Was she the only one?" Chloe feared the answer.

Rachel shook her head. "There was one a couple of months later. Lynn." The name didn't ring any bells to Chloe. "Nothing happened to her. I think Stella's death was an accident."

As if that made it any better. Chloe still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Rachel knowingly contributed to not only a murder, but multiple kidnappings. All happening under Chloe's nose.

"Why?" So much in a single word.

_Why did you hurt them?_

_Why didn't you tell anyone?_

_Why did you leave me?_

"It started off simple. Mark asked me to model for him, and of course I accepted. Soon after, it became physical, and we met in his studio. He had his own stashes of drugs, and he let me use them to chase away the nightmares. There were pictures he showed me of other girls who modeled for him, and he asked my advice. I felt so important to him." She scratched at her wrist as she spoke. "First was Stella, then Lynn. There were more; I saw the news when he was arrested. But then, as you know, I decided to leave."

Chloe remembered. Nothing but a letter and deleted social media accounts remained. Chloe spent the next several weeks texting and emailing to no response until her desperation soured into hatred. Anything would have been better than that.

Rachel continued. "When I told Mark, he didn't take it well. He tried to convince me to stay, saying that we were special together. I was his apprentice, and I couldn't leave. I let him know that I had made up my mind, and when I turned to leave, I felt a prick in my neck."

A chill flowed through Chloe. The news said that was how he took his victims. She said nothing; Rachel unwound herself with every word, and she feared that any interruption would break her apart.

"After that, I... I'm not sure what happened. I could barely see or hear anything, but I felt him pose me, just as we did together with Stella. The things he said, I think he wanted that for a long time." A pause for Rachel to breathe. She seemed more composed now. "The next thing I know, I'm back on the couch in our hideout, covered in dirt. There was money and an envelope on the table when I woke up. It was addressed to me."

"What was inside?" This was news to Chloe.

Rachel looked up for the first time since the conversation began. "Money, and one other thing. I used it to make my way here. I can show you the rest, if you'll let me have my purse."

That might be a problem. She didn't have it with her when they brought her up, and Chloe couldn't remember if she had it before then. Rachel was her sole focus at the time. It might still be in Steph's car and Chloe would've gone to check, but she didn't trust Rachel not to find a way to leave while she was gone.

Luckily, Steph was outside. Chloe pulled out her phone and sent off a quick text asking her to check the car for Rachel's purse and bring it up. Steph responded immediately with an emoji thumbs-up.

"So," Chloe said when she finished. There might still be a way this all turned out okay. An explanation that fixed everything. "That's why you had to leave? That piece of shit tried to kill you too, and so you ran until he couldn't reach you. You only left a letter for me."

It made sense. Get away as fast as possible so he couldn't hurt her again. Rachel would've stayed and explained everything, but she was scared for her life. As Chloe thought it over, she could almost forgive Rachel. Not for everything, but more than she expected.

Unfortunately, she was wrong. Rachel shook her head and explained. "I already decided to leave before then. My final message to you was written and delivered. I knew you hadn't seen it yet, because it was still lying there when I awoke. The meeting with Mark only made me more sure. But it still hurt. I promise you that, Chloe."

A simple explanation, and even that sliver of hope was dashed. Rachel left her because that was just what Rachel did.

_It's what you deserve._

Chloe's thoughts of self-hatred only grew. It was her fault Rachel left. It was her fault Rachel cheated. It was her fault that everyone betrayed her.

Before she could even think to plan a response, a soft knock rung out from the door. It echoed loudly in the silent apartment.

Chloe was quiet as she walked over to answer it. Standing in the doorway was Steph, and she had a worried look on her face. A small brown purse was in her hand.

"Everything still good?" she asked. She constantly glanced past Chloe over to Rachel as she spoke.

"Yeah." _Good_ probably wasn't the best term, but Chloe wouldn't say they were _bad_. "There's a lot of stuff going on, but it's going."

Steph nodded and held out the purse for Chloe to take. "Found this on the floorboards in the back. Hope it helps."

"Thanks, Steph." Chloe took the purse and closed the door once Steph turned to leave. Rachel finally looked back at her; she had turned away when she saw Steph at the door.

Wordlessly, Chloe passed the purse off to Rachel and waited for her to dig through it. It took Rachel no time at all to find what she was looking for; it was hidden in a pocket just on the inside. She pulled out a slightly crumpled white envelope, the front simply marked **_RACHEL_ ** in an uneven curvy scrawl.

"There was a lot of money with it. A lot, a lot," Rachel explained. "I've been living off that since I got here. I've brought in a little with a few contracts here and there, but without this, I'm not sure what I would've done. This city isn't easy."

"How much was it?" Chloe asked. If it's been enough to keep her steady in an expensive place like this, it had to be a sizable amount.

"Just over a hundred thousand. I keep it safe, don't worry."

"Jesus Christ..." That kind of money was insane.

Very few people Chloe knew had that cash, and even fewer would give it away, even to Rachel. Her dad might have that much, but he wouldn't have left it in an envelope like that.

"I know, but that wasn't all. The other thing, I don't quite understand." Finally, Rachel opened the envelope and brought out a small square. A Polaroid. She slid it across the table face-down, and written on the back in marker was a short message.

**_Keep this safe. It's important for both me and you._ **

Not sure what to expect, she flipped the photo over. The front held a poorly framed picture of a young brunette girl standing in front of a tree. She wore a plain shirt, khakis, sneakers, and a backpack. She looked as if she were ready for school.

It took Chloe several moments to recognize who it was, but when she did, it only brought up more questions. Even so, she knew exactly what day that photo was taken.

"...It's a picture of Max."

"Max?" Rachel asked. She leaned over and took another look at the photo. "Your friend from when you were a kid?"

"That's right." Chloe considered what exactly it meant. "I think I know what happened."

The handwriting was very similar to Max's, and the cryptic note only validated her idea. Max gave this to Rachel as a precaution. If anything happened, she would always have an extra photo to jump back in and fix things. How she intended to do much in her short time in the photo, however, Chloe wasn't sure.

Though that meant that Max was in Arcadia Bay at least sometime that summer. She knew that Jefferson would attack Rachel, and somehow she saved her. The news said nothing about Rachel, or even anyone else helping that piece of shit Jefferson, which meant that he covered it up. Then again, from what she heard of the trial, he had admitted everything, so why not Rachel?

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked. "Did Max have something to do with it?"

Chloe wasn't sure how much to say. Explaining everything would raise more questions, and it wasn't her place to tell about Max's powers. So instead, she told only the basics.

"She came back about a month ago, and we reconnected. I can't say how, but I think she knew that something would happen and saved you. That's her handwriting on the photo, too."

"Why save me? What about Stella? Jefferson took her as well." Rachel asked.

It was a valid criticism. If Chloe was right, then Max only saved Rachel. Why wouldn't she do the same for his other victims? Or call the police before he even begins? Chloe wasn't a fan of using the photojumps to change things, but Old Max didn't seem to feel the same way. All it would take is a phone call at the right time.

"I don't know exactly why, but I know it's true." Maybe if Max were here, she could explain.

"If you two reconnected, can you ask her?”

Chloe shook her head. "About a week after we met, she had an accident. She doesn't remember much of anything from the past few years. She didn't even remember me at all."

"Wow." Rachel bit her lip. "I'm sorry that happened."

"It's okay. I'm used to people forgetting about me."

Rachel turned away as if struck. Chloe felt bad for a moment, but it was true. Everyone always leaves.

"I truly didn't want to hurt you, Chloe. I wanted you to move on and find someone better."

"Don't give me that shit, Rach. You knew that wasn't okay, but you did it anyway. At least you were right about one thing. Max and I are together now."

Rachel smiled at that. It didn't make Chloe feel any better. "That's good. You deserve to be happy."

The situation soured Rachel's words. Just because it worked out months later didn't make this okay.

"So," she continued. "What are you going to do now?"

"Head back to Arcadia, I guess," Chloe said. "We can get a plane ticket and be there tonight or tomorrow morning."

"Chloe..." Rachel gave her a strange look. "My life is here now. I have nothing back there. There are my parents, I suppose, but after everything, I don't need to see them."

"Oh... Yeah, sorry. I meant I can buy one." It was a slip of the tongue, but Chloe had secretly hoped that Rachel might have come back with her. There was so much to talk about that her short time here wouldn't be enough for it.

"Why don't you stay another day? I don't have anything to do, and I can tell you all about L.A. It will be like old times."

"I'd love to, but I can't." She needed to find out what happened to Max. Her not answering the phone only made Chloe think of the worst.

"Oh," Rachel seemed disappointed. "I understand."

Chloe sent off a quick _hey you can come back_ to Steph before she responded. "Yeah, sorry. I just really need to get back."

Shortly after, the front door opened and Steph walked in. Rachel gave her a tense smile and raised her hand in a half-hearted wave.

Chloe spoke first. "Hey, Steph. So, we talked it out."

Steph smiled, but never took her eyes off of Rachel. "That's good. Honestly, I half expected to come back to two corpses. I'm glad you proved me wrong."

"It was, uh, close," Chloe said. "But we're still alive. I want to get back to Arcadia Bay tonight, if possible."

"Yeah, sure. Let me see when the next flight is." Steph stepped into her room and came back with her laptop. She quickly went online to search for tickets, and the look that crossed her face wasn't positive.

"So it looks like everything's booked for today, unless you want to pay double and do a pit stop in Houston." She didn't. "You can get one for the morning. Sunday, yeah. Then it'll probably be an hour's bus ride to Arcadia."

"Shit." Not what Chloe was hoping for, but also not unexpected on such short notice. "Is it all right if I stay for another night?"

Steph gave a lighthearted shrug. "Hey, I told you it'd be fine. I was ready to help you search for at least a week. I won't complain if you stay and hang out."

Chloe turned to Rachel. "Looks like I'm stuck here 'til then. I guess you can show me around."

"Chloe, if you want to borrow my car, feel free," Steph said. "I need to do some work, anyway. Just know that parking and gas is on you."

"Seriously? You're too kind."

Steph smiled. "Don't I know it."

-~-

Chloe only had a single day with Rachel, but she tried to make it count. There was still that barrier between them, sharpening the edge on every interaction. Still, it reminded Chloe of old times, when it was them against the world, and nothing would ever stand in their way.

They drove around and Rachel showed her some of her favorite spots. Chloe expected that the bars and clubs would be somewhere on there, but Rachel wisely avoided them. Parks and cafes and beaches and hideouts, all were there to be discovered. The chill of late fall dampened some of the loveliness of a few sights, but Rachel insisted that in the height of summer they were amazing to experience.

Rachel told Chloe of her life in the city, of the few friends she had made and the jobs she had done. She avoided anything involving drugs or partying, and all those empty spaces only showed how large they were. Even in the most wonderful way Rachel could describe it, Chloe saw the cracks.

Their day couldn't last forever, and after everything, Chloe wasn't sure if she would want it to. Her time apart from Rachel and her adventures with Max helped her move on. Rachel was amazing, but Chloe couldn't get past her disappearance or her work with Jefferson. Stella was dead, and Rachel had contributed to it. Was Chloe showering her with forgiveness too easily?

They were walking down the sidewalk when Chloe raised the idea of heading back. Rachel halted in the middle of the path.

"Oh, you probably do need some sleep," Rachel said. She had mentioned she had more places to show, but she wouldn't get the chance.

"Yeah... It'll be a long trip back." Chloe wasn't sure what else to say.

"I wish I could go with you, but things have changed."

"I know, I know. You're a Cali girl."

Rachel smiled. "That's right. Maybe you could come back down in the summer and I could show you what this city is really like."

"Maybe." Would that even be something Chloe would want? Who was she kidding, it was. "Does that mean we'll keep in touch?"

"If you want."

"Here. Let me give you my number, then." She reached into her pocket for her phone but Rachel stopped her.

"I still have it. I got every single one of your texts, back when you still sent them."

Chloe didn't know how to feel about that. She had said many nasty things, thinking there was no one there to read them.

"You were right to feel hurt," Rachel continued. "But I hope we can put it behind us. Leave it in the past."

It was a bold ask from Rachel, who had admitted to so many terrible things, but Chloe couldn't say no. Rachel's charm was too powerful, or maybe Chloe just didn't want to be filled with anger anymore.

"Okay, Rach. We can try. But if something like this happens again, I won't be coming to find you."

Rachel nodded. "I don't expect you to." She thought for a moment then held her arms out wide. "Since this is goodbye for now, can I have one last hug?"

Chloe knew she shouldn't. Rachel couldn't be forgiven this easily. Those hands had hurt so many people and now she held them out like this. She had gotten away with so much.

Chloe pressed the thoughts away. Even after everything, Rachel meant too much for her. She had been her angel, and Chloe couldn't forget that.

A hug would work. Chloe leaned in and wrapped her arms around Rachel, smelling her strawberry-scented hair. Rachel held on for dear life, but Chloe's hug held no love. Only acceptance. She wasn't sure which was more important.

Rachel smiled when Chloe broke the hug, and then looked at the empty street behind her. "I actually live close to here. You should drive back to Steph's."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" It was dark, and who knew what these alleys held?

Rachel nodded. "I can take care of myself. But before I go, take this." She reached into her purse and pulled out the photo of Max. "You should give this back to her. If she really saved me, tell her I said thanks."

Chloe took and saw the young face of her girlfriend staring back at her. This was important, she knew. To Max, a photo like this held so much potential.

"Thanks, Rach. I'll tell her."

"You really love her, don't you? You smiled when you saw that."

Did she? Chloe didn't notice.

"Keep that with you," Rachel continued. "Don't let her get away." ' _Not like I did'_ was left unsaid.

"I won't. Goodbye, Rach."

"Bye, Chloe." Rachel raised her hand like she wanted to do something, but decided against it. She turned and walked off down the street, and Chloe wondered if she would ever see her again.

-~-

The airport _sucked_. It was Sunday morning, and Chloe was fortunate enough to not need to be groped by some asshat in a uniform, but that didn't ease the suffering that even standing in the building gave her. About half of the people she saw looked like they wanted to die, and the other half looked like they were already dead.

Through security, and pushing away the temptation to buy an overpriced bag of chips, she settled down at her gate and watched the people meander about. The entire building was abuzz with clatter and movement, and the bright lights threatened to give her a headache.

To distract herself, she grabbed her phone, put on her headphones, and drowned the world out with music. It wasn't entirely successful. All of her calls to Max had rung until she hung up. Max still hadn't set up her voicemail, not that she would be likely to check it. Even Chloe's texts went unanswered.

Even so, she pulled up Max's contact and stared at it. Another call wouldn't hurt, right? But it would if Max didn't respond.

Fortunately, the decision was made for her.

-~-

"All right. We're here," Victoria said. With so much time riding along with Chloe, Max almost forgot what it was like with a normal driver behind the wheel.

"Thanks, Victoria."

"For what, the ride?" She seemed surprised as they got out. "It's not like I would leave you. Besides, as I said, I enjoyed our time out this morning. Truthfully, I was a little worried about you. I'm glad you came."

"Worried?" That didn't sound good.

"Yes, worried. When we talked, you didn't seem too well. I'm sorry if you didn't actually want to come out with me today and you felt like I forced you. I heard you skipped something you had with Kate, too. I didn't want to say anything, but you look much better today."

It looked like Auto Max—as Max began to refer to the version of her that existed during a photojump—didn't have much of an easy time. Max wondered if it had any connection to her own sickness in the other timeline, or if it was a coincidence. It lined up too perfectly to seem one, though.

"I think I'm feeling better today." Not a lie. "But once we finish, I think I might take a nap."

"That's a good idea, Max. Beauty sleep is important."

From what Max had gathered on the way back to Blackwell, Victoria had invited her out for breakfast, and Auto Max accepted. Afterward, they stopped by Frank's RV for Victoria to pick something up, and that's when she had come back. Max wasn't fond of her luck; she would've like to have eaten the food at least.

Fortunately, she wasn't hungry. Did her hunger not carry over when she jumped back? She wouldn’t complain; there was no way she had eaten much in her past two days.

"Now," Victoria continued, checking her phone. "Tay says she'll be ready in about an hour, so we can look for your missing phone until then. Do you remember the last place you saw it?"

They were approaching the dorms now, and Max wasn't sure what to say. She had lost her phone and had no idea where, so the truth seemed like the best option. Auto Max would know, but she wasn’t exactly here to help.

"I remember that I had it in my room, but the last time I'm positively sure I had it was Friday."

Victoria let out a playful laugh. "Honestly, Max, I envy you. If I was without my phone for two days, I'm not sure I'd survive."

On their way up, Victoria raised the idea of checking her room first, and Max agreed. It seemed like the obvious first choice.

It was a calm Sunday, which meant that almost no one was out this morning. Most of the students were either off-campus or sleeping in, so Max and Victoria passed no one on their trip. It was relaxing if Max was being honest.

Their floor was as quiet as the world outside. At the dorm room, Victoria waited while Max unlocked her door. The resounding _click_ of the lock echoed loudly through the dead building, and Max opened it to look inside.

The room wasn't as she had left it. The couch was offset from its wall, and her clothes were strewn all over the floor and her unmade bed. Her laptop was open and askew, unplugged and dead. Even her photo wall was in shambles; most of the bottom half was scattered across the wall and the edge of the floor. Strangely, from the creased clutter on the bed, it looked like she had slept on it as it was, atop the clothes and all.

Max wasn't the neatest person, by any stretch, but compared to how she usually was, this looked more like she had been robbed. For all she knew, she had.

"Oh, wow," Victoria said as she looked at the photo wall. Max couldn't make out her emotion.

"Can... we just find my phone?" Max didn't want to make a problem out of this, especially when she wasn't alone. There was always the possibility that Auto Max was the one who caused the mess, and Max hoped it was true.

"Sure, of course. Do you..." Victoria cut herself off and pressed her lips together. "I'll call it and we'll see if it rings."

She swiftly pulled out her phone and called Max's contact. While she did that, Max inspected the room. From what she could tell, nothing had been rummaged through—her drawers and bookbag were still organized—and only things that had been sitting out were out of place. Now that she thought about it, it reminded her of Kate's room, only to a lesser degree. At the worst, she could pass everything off as a careless mess. She hoped it was.

Victoria held her own phone out and Max could hear the faint _ring_ coming through, but nothing from within her dorm.

"Nothing," Max said. She waited a moment, but Victoria cocked her head and moved over to the bed.

Max followed and watched as Victoria got on her hands and knees and reached underneath. The sheets weren't set properly, so she only had to push away a pair of jeans and a fallen photo to find what she was looking for. Lost underneath her bed, Max could see her phone lit up in the shadows.

As Victoria grabbed it and stood back up, Max realized that it was vibrating for the call. The buzz was soft but insistent, and somehow she hadn't noticed it at first. Thankfully, Victoria was here to help.

"That wasn't there before, was it? Don't worry, I know someone who can fix it for you." Victoria declined the call, held out the phone, and gave it to Max.

Something had cracked the screen. There was a large spiderweb covering up the very top of the screen, and a single large scar snaked across the bottom. Annoying, but still usable. Beneath the call screen, the phone was in photo mode, and the alerts at the top showed a low battery alert, a full storage alert, dozens of missed calls and texts.

"Thanks, Victoria." It seemed like Max said that a lot today. "It's not broken too bad, I think."

Victoria smiled. "Anything, Max. And like I said, I can get it fixed for you. I don't know how you lost it down there, but it's not surprising. It was pretty quiet."

Was it? Or was Victoria patronizing her? She didn't seem to have any problems hearing the phone. Max decided not to bring it up. No sense arguing after her help.

"I think I'm going to take that nap now, if that's all right."

"Of course, Max," Victoria said. "Take all the time you need. _Ciao_." She gave a small wave and left Max alone.

Now by herself, Max thought of what to do next. Chloe hadn't been able to get in touch with her, and she could only imagine how worried she was. Then again, it wouldn't help to get caught after her photojump. Figure out what happened first, then call Chloe.

Auto Max had run into some trouble, that much was obvious. Max only hoped that it was something simple, like a fever, rather than something far worse. Her phone had been on photo mode when Victoria found it, so there was the chance that Auto Max had saved something helpful.

A quick check on her phone gallery showed no new photos. The most recent picture was the one Chloe had texted her and she had jumped through. A heavy pang of guilt at herself punched through her, but she kept searching. Elsewhere in her gallery, she spotted a video, almost forty-five minutes long, saved. That was likely what took up the rest of her phone storage.

Max sat on her bed, pushing a shirt to the side, and pressed play. The screen was pitch black, and she could hear her own voice.

"Chloe...? Chloe! Are you there? Where...?" Auto Max sounded confused and distressed. "I don't... where am I? Not again..."

The video was silent for almost a minute before it continued.

"You're not there... Nathan? This isn't it. Your house...?" There was a slight shuffling sound, and the camera moved. Max could only see the ceiling, and from the faint light, it looked like it was nighttime.

"Gah," said Auto Max from off-camera. "I... Blackwell again. Right."

A knock rang out from somewhere behind, followed by a voice. It was faint and difficult to make out, but Max could just barely understand the words.

"Max? Are you in there?"

It was Victoria. A few moments later Max could hear the door open as Victoria and Auto Max talked.

"Oh. I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"It's... okay." Auto Max's voice was quiet, not because of distance, but because she barely spoke above a whisper. "What do you need, Victoria?"

"After we spoke yesterday, I want to do something nice for you for listening to me. You were right about Nathan, and I'm glad you were there for him." Silence for a moment. "Do you want to get breakfast tomorrow? I know a nice place just outside of town and I'm sure it's not what you usually like, I think you might enjoy it."

"Um. Sure." Auto Max's breathing was oddly heavy and her words were stilted. "Sounds good. But I'm busy now."

Victoria began to respond, but the sound of the door closing cut her off. Auto Max didn't seem to be in the mood to talk.

"All right!" Victoria said through the door. "Tomorrow then." Max couldn't tell whether she was annoyed at the rudeness.

There was an odd scratching sound, and then Auto Max picked up the phone. The video was recorded on the front camera, so Max saw her own face on the screen. Auto Max was looking at the wall.

"Keep it together, Max." She was speaking to herself and didn't even seem to notice the recording. "It's been hard to think, honestly. The past couple of days... My zone-outs have been getting worse. It's like I'm on autopilot sometimes. Am I schizophrenic? Two parts of myself fighting over my body."

If only she knew. It seemed that once again, Auto Max had no idea of her powers.

"Another nap might help." A pause. "I wish Chloe were here. When she gets back, maybe I should see the doctor again."

Auto Max looked off-camera for a while longer, then moved with the phone. She set it down on the bed and sat on her knees beside it. The photo wall hung intact above.

She sat there, staring at the wall, occasionally touching a picture to look at it. Her movements were careful.

Suddenly, she took a hand and dragged it across the wall, knocking down the very bottom row. Her knees moved her closer as she leaned to reach either end. The more she moved, the more the phone did with her. Eventually, she moved so close that the phone tumbled into the space between the unaligned bed and wall, landing face down on a fallen photo beneath.

The sounds of Auto Max knocking things down continued for another minute before the springs of the bed creaked and stopped. The recording was pitch black, and the only sound that came through was a quiet, faint sob.

That was all there was to see. Max scrolled through to see if anything changed, but the rest of the video was a silent emptiness. It would have kept going if the phone hadn't run out of space.

This was what Old Max meant. 'A Max always has to come back'. A version of herself back at Chloe's house was pulled forward instead of her because she fast-forwarded past it. The problem is, when the wrong Max comes back, it creates problems. First with herself in the other timeline at Nathan's house, and now with Auto Max in this one.

Her own conflict didn't last long. If she had to guess, she woke up from talking with Old Max around the same time she photojumped back. Here, Auto Max didn't fare as well. Sickness and pain plagued her as two Maxes battled in one mind until they were both overwritten by herself. Old Max said she was the strongest. Was this why?

Max had stumbled into something that she was not prepared for, and now other versions of herself were gone for it. Were they even truly alive? Or were they just splinters of herself? If they were, did that make herself one of Old Max?

She didn't know. What made a Max, anyway? No matter which way she looked at it, she wasn't the original in any sense of the word. That title belonged to Old Max, the one who had gone through hell and back to save the world, and now could do nothing but sit and watch from that strange world of hers.

The entire situation frightened her. She knew that the more she thought about it the more she would spiral into an existential crisis. There would be time for that later. For now, Chloe. Maybe talking to her would help. The only problem was, to talk about this would be to admit her betrayal. That's all it was, plain and simple. She had promised Chloe that there would be no more secrets, and yet she did it anyway.

With no more hesitation, because she knew she would overthink what to say, she called her girlfriend and listened to the harsh tones of her cracked phone making the connection. Chloe picked up on the second ring.

"Max? Is that you?" Her voice was strong, but Max could make out loud chatter in the background. Chloe was somewhere busy.

"Hi, Chloe."

"I was so worried, Max. What the hell happened? Why didn't you answer my calls?"

There were many answers to that question, some more damning than others. However, lying more would only make things worse.

"I have something I need to admit. You won't like it," Max said.

"You just got back from a photojump, right?" Chloe said it plainly.

Stunned, Max replied. "You... know?"

"I called you a few hours after I left. I could tell it wasn't the same you. It was that photo of us from Wednesday, right? That's why you wanted it. Not for any surprise for me." Chloe knew more than Max expected, and there was a hint of venom in her words. "You went back and changed things without telling me."

"No, no," Max said. "Nothing changed. It's... complicated, but I can explain."

"Can you? How many times did you go and photojump like that? This isn't okay."

"It was twice," Max said, then realized. "Wait, three times, but one didn't really count. But don't worry, everything is exactly the same."

"Jesus, Max," Chloe sighed. "That's not what I'm talking about. You left without telling me. First, I find out that the you I'm talking to isn't the same you, then I can't reach you at all. Do you know how scared I was? What happened to 'no more secrets'?"

Guilt snaked its way through Max. She knew she had messed up, and even though she had learned a lot, she still betrayed Chloe's trust. "I'm sorry, Chloe. I just wanted to find out more about myself before the accident."

"Look, I get it. But seriously, you can't disappear like that and expect it to be okay. How long were you gone? Three, four days? I can't even wrap my head around when else you might have jumped for this to work out."

"Two... It's complicated."

"Yeah, obviously." Another sigh. "If you had just told me what you were doing, I wouldn't be so upset. But when you act like I don't matter, or I don't get a say, that's the problem. I thought we were in this together."

"We are. I swear." Max didn't know what to say to fix things. There was a slight temptation to use her powers to navigate this conversation better, but she resisted. That would be a step too far, even after what she had already done.

"It sure doesn't feel like it," Chloe said. Max could hear a faint announcement in the background on the other end of the line. "I've got to go. The plane back to Oregon just started boarding. We can talk about this when I get back. Just... let me think about this, okay?"

"Okay." Max didn't want to end on that note. "I'm sorry."

"I know." A moment of silence. "Bye, Max."

A soft digital click cut Max off before she could respond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading.
> 
> Next chapter: 1-26


	24. Time to Talk/The Survivor

_"Wait... time travel? Like Doctor Who?" Chloe asked. Max laughed, presumably at the confounded look on her face._

_"Not quite. I don't get a cool box that's bigger on the inside."_

_That got a chuckle from Chloe. "All right, so you know I gotta ask you to prove it. Let me think..." Max looked ready for this. She probably already knew. "I got it. Tell me what I have in my p-"_

_Max cut her off. "Twelve cents, a receipt for Chinese food last week, your keys, and a rubber band."_

_Chloe's eyes opened wide, and she emptied her pockets to check. Max was exactly right, of course._

_"Dude! Even I didn't know that. You seriously have superpowers."_

_"That's not all."_

_Chloe smiled at Max, ready to see what else her friend could do. Then, without warning, Max was suddenly straddling her lap, their two faces only inches apart. Max hadn't even moved, and now they were close enough that Chloe could feel her breath on her nose._

_"Hey," Max said, and the word sent a chill down Chloe's spine._

_"...hey," she returned._

_Another moment and Max was back in her seat, acting like nothing happened. Chloe was still trying to overcome her suddenly-racing heart._

_"I have a few other tricks, if you want to see," Max said with a wink._

_Chloe wanted nothing else._

-Final Timeline, October 7th

* * *

Chloe stared down at her phone, wondering if she had made the right decision. What she did was mean, yeah, but Max just didn't _get_ it. Going behind her back and using her power like that, even after they promised each other that they would be nothing but honest, hurt more than anything. Max had said nothing changed, and Chloe hoped she was right.

The lady on the intercom called for her group to board, so Chloe shouldered her bag and boarded. She had gotten an aisle seat; the extra room was the only thing that would make this bearable. Fortunately, the man next to her wasn't some fat slob. He didn't look like a snorer either. Somehow, she might survive this cramped metal box.

Chloe payed little attention to the other passengers getting on. Instead, she put on her headphones and scrolled through her playlist to pass the time until takeoff.

Eventually, the captain's voice called out over the speakers. _Just over two hours. Fine weather in Portland. Should be a smooth flight._ Nothing unexpected.

The flight attendants did their final check, followed by that dumb presentation they always had to give. She tuned it out and practically slept through it. If the plane crashed, they'd all die anyway, so it was pointless.

The passing thought stuck with her. _Wouldn't that be a riot? Go through all this effort to find Rachel and help Max, only to go down on her way back_. Would serve her right, at least. Then Max wouldn't have to put up with her failure of a girlfriend. Chloe subconsciously felt that this entire series of betrayals was her own fault, in a way. She was the constant, every time. If she had done better, then maybe Rachel wouldn't have left. Maybe Old Max would've told her more. Maybe New Max would trust her.

She still recalled one thing Max said after she woke up. It wasn't her lack of recognition, nor the pressure to learn more despite the consequences. 'I can't trust you like that', Max had said. The words sent a spike of pain through Chloe that still had yet to heal. Not that she would ever say so.

"Miss, are you all right?" The not-slob from Chloe's left was speaking to her. He wore a business-casual suit and trendy glasses, and that combined with his trimmed beard gave her the impression of a professional.

"What?" she responded as she removed her headphones. Who was this guy, trying to get in her business?

"You're crying. Do you need a tissue?"

Chloe rubbed at her eyes and they came away drenched. She didn't even realize.

"No, man. I'm fine." She glared at him as best she could manage, and when he casually turned away, she thought that was the end of it.

He clearly didn't think so. He pulled a small piece of cloth out of his pocket and held it out. Chloe debated rejecting it, but she had let out more tears than she thought at first, and her face was feeling a little gross.

She took the cloth and wiped her eyes. Good thing she wasn't wearing makeup; she'd look like a clown otherwise.

"Thanks," Chloe said when she finished. She handed the gross handkerchief back to the man.

"You know," he said as he put it away, "when I was your age, I thought I had no purpose in life, either. You have that look, like you're lost and don't know what to do."

"What are you, some kind of therapist?"

He chuckled at that. "Not quite. I'm a teacher. My cousin's the therapist."

"Oh. Cool." Chloe wasn't entirely sure what to say to that.

"I don't mean to pry, but what seems to be the problem?" He wouldn't let it go, apparently.

Chloe sighed. "Just some _personal_ shit." She stressed the word. "I can deal with it."

The man hummed, thinking, before turning to look straight at her. "That, I can believe. But I've known many young girls like you, thinking the entire world is out there to conquer. You're someone who was forced to grow too early."

"Uh, sure?" She didn't really get what he meant.

"Try to stay innocent, Chloe, is what I'm saying. Life is harsh, and it only taints your soul. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I guess," Chloe said, then hesitated. She never told the man her name. "Wait... have we met before?"

The man smiled at the question, and it turned Chloe's stomach. "Not exactly, but Rachel has told me all about you."

Chloe took a closer look at the man's face, and recognition enveloped her. The newspapers. The pictures. He had the face of the nightmare.

"Don't worry," he said. "I visited her again already. She didn't get away this time, and neither will you."

A sharp paralysis flooded through Chloe's body, making her unable to move as the man stuck a needle into her neck.

-~-

" _-and note the emergency exits located at the front, center, and rear of the cabin._ "

Chloe jolted awake from her nightmare, an uncomfortable numbness flowing through her knee as she banged her leg into the seat in front of her. The noise got her an angry stare from the man next to her, but here in the real world, he didn't have the face of that psycho Jefferson. Other than the glasses, they were nothing alike.

She straightened herself up from the tired slouch she had fallen into and wiped at her eyes. Her fingers came back only slightly wet, a far cry from the waterworks they had been before. Thankfully, no one said anything as she shot a quick glance at the passengers around her. A quick reset of her headphones and music, and she built her wall from the world once more.

Confident that the nightmare had passed, Chloe settled back down and rubbed her sore knee. The flight attendant had since finished her speech and moved to the front of the cabin, leaving the aisle empty and ready for takeoff. Not long after, the vibrations of the engines rattled through the plane as they started their journey to Oregon.

Her heart still thumped faster than it should have, but she blamed that on the music she focused on, trying to chase away the memory of that terrible nightmare. It barely worked. This nightmare had been different, frightening in a different way. Compared to that, she missed her anxiety dreams about her dad. Not as much as William, himself, of course.

_Don't dwell, idiot._

A small breath escaped her lips. Two more hours and a bus to Arcadia Bay, then Max. Chloe still didn't know what she would do. She'd figure it out later, but not now.

It was a problem for future Chloe.

-~-

Portland was a fine city, mostly, in Chloe's opinion. It was a shame she didn't get the chance to spend much time there, but greater things called to her back in Arcadia Bay. Few people were headed that direction on a Sunday morning in mid-November, which meant that the bus was practically empty. Exactly what she preferred.

About a half-hour into the ride back to town, Chloe grew restless. All this travel in only two days was more than she had done in months at a time previously. Her parents were never much for vacations—other than that planned but nonexistent Paris trip—and after William died, they hardly went anywhere. In fact, Chloe couldn't even remember the last time she had left the county, let alone the state.

Still, this constant travel was getting on her nerves. She couldn't talk to Max; that whole situation still needed to be worked out. Rachel... probably needed some time. Chloe did, at least. It struck her once again how few people she knew she could consider a good friend. Then the obvious answer came to her, and she felt a pang of guilt for not realizing earlier. She had promised herself she would reach out, but she hadn't. She grabbed her phone to remedy that.

 **_Me_ ** _: hey kate. sorry i havent talked in awhile ive been busy. like seriously busy, for real._

She sent the text and wondered if she laid the apology on too thick. Kate responded a few minutes later.

 **_Katie_ ** _: Hi Chloe. It's okay. What have you been up to, if you don't mind me asking?_

 **_Me_ ** _: spent a couple days in LA cali trying to find someone. did in the end and now im on my way back._

 **_Katie_ ** _: Oh well that's very nice to hear. I'm glad it worked out. And that does explain why I haven't seen you around with Max recently. You've been by each other's side since she came back to us :D._

 **_Me_ ** _: yeah well max and i are also in a little fight right now. we havent talked in awhile but its okay. we’ll get it sorted when i get back._

 **_Katie_ ** _: I hope so. She's been a little under the weather the past couple of days. I don't want to tell you what to do, but it seems like she could use your help. I tried, but she hasn't been in the mood to talk._

Chloe considered what exactly that meant. 'The past couple of days' would mean that was the other Max for at least most of it. _Dammit, Max. What did you do?_

 **_Me_ ** _: i get that. But we just really need to talk first i think._

 **_Me_ ** _: she's doing like okay right? for the most part?_

 **_Katie_ ** _: I think so. She spent most of the weekend in her room, but I saw her leave with Victoria this morning. I haven't checked if she's come back yet, though._

 **_Me_ ** _: dont worry about it._

 **_Me_ ** _: anyway enough about our favorite person. How are you doing kate? i feel like i dont ask that enough._

The next reply took longer than the others.

 **_Katie_ ** _: I could be doing worse, I know that. But for the most part I think I'm holding in there. One day at a time, isn't that what you said? You don't need to worry about me making another mistake like before. Thank you for asking though. I'm blessed to have someone like you to care._

 **_Me:_ ** _of course. im always here to talk whenever you need. why dont we hang out sometime this week?_

 **_Katie_ ** _: I'd love that. I know you don't love tea as much as I do, but I know you can't resist smoothies. How does that sound?_

 **_Me_ ** _: positively amazing_

 **_Katie_ ** _: Great! ^-^ Now sorry to go but I have a lot to work on for class tomorrow. We can work out the details later, okay?_

 **_Me:_ ** _sounds good. later kate_

 **_Katie:_ ** _Bye, Chloe! xoxo_

Chloe put her phone away, the conversation having made her feel much better. Kate was such an angel. Hopefully, this would bode well for later.

But Chloe wasn't fully convinced.

-~-

Max stared down at her phone, knowing that she had made the wrong decision. Chloe was right. Max had been so focused on trying to find out more about herself and her powers that she had pushed Chloe to the sideline. They were dating now, didn't that mean anything?

Ever since she woke up, the world had been nothing but confusing. First her powers, then the mystery of Old Max and Chloe's proclamation of love. Nothing made sense, except for one thing. Chloe had been there for her. Every day since the accident, she was never alone.

Max needed to make this right, but she couldn't until Chloe returned.If Chloe had just now gotten on her plane, she wouldn't be back for several hours. What would Max do with her time?

The obvious answer was 'study' or 'homework', but neither of those called to her. Not that they ever did, but they were especially silent today. She supposed it was a slightly good thing that Auto Max canceled her study date with Kate; it meant they could reschedule.

Unfortunately, with a lack of other options, studying was the best choice right now. She was behind enough as it was, and it might take her mind off of Chloe. Resigned to her fate, she cracked open a textbook and got to work.

-~-

It was late afternoon when the bus rumbled to a stop in the middle of Arcadia Bay, and Chloe was the only one to get off. The few other passengers were headed further down the coast, off to bigger and better things. She breathed in the cool salty air and let out a soft sigh. She was home.

She pulled out her phone once more, ready to call Max to talk, but hesitated. Her time alone had done her fewer favors than she'd hoped, and she wasn't sure she could do it without making some poor decisions or word choices. Instead, she only sent a text.

 **_Me_ ** _: im back in town but im gonna need a bit. we're good. just. lets talk later today after ive cooled down._

Max responded immediately with an _okay_ and nothing more. It was about what Chloe expected.

Now Chloe had to decide where to go to calm herself down. Anywhere Max might be was out of the question, naturally, so that cut out anywhere near Blackwell or the Two Whales. Home was a terrible idea, because running into stepdouche was the opposite of what she needed. Grabbing her truck and parking outside of town like she usually did might work.

Eventually, before she resigned herself to falling back on her old plans, she thought of a place she had only visited once in almost half a year. The junkyard had always been her place to escape, and with her meeting with Rachel, maybe it didn't have to be full of pain anymore.

It seemed as good an idea as any, so that's what she did. It was only a short walk to her house to grab her truck—making sure she wasn't seen by anyone who might be inside—and a decent drive to the junkyard. Fortunately, she was good on fuel. Maybe she should have asked Rachel for some of that Old Max kidnap payout.

Chloe tossed the thought as soon as she considered it. That would be guilt-tripping and manipulative, and she liked to think she wasn't like that. _Only a hothead with anger issues_.

At the junkyard, Chloe pulled her truck into a sideways park and got out. It looked untouched, exactly as it had been almost a week ago. Ruined cars and buses and boats littered the place, only a tiny building standing in the debris. Last time, when Chloe searched for a hidden phone on a future Max's orders, she avoided the shack. Now, maybe it was time to return.

She still didn't understand exactly what was up with that phone, or whether there was more that Old Max had hidden around, but that wasn't her focus. All that mattered now was clearing her head so she might forgive Max. To that end, she walked over and entered the shack.

 **_Chloe was here_ ** greeted her on the wall. Rachel's own message had long ago been scratched out by angry hands and an angry knife. Everything inside was in a state of disarray: cushions slashed and torn, bottles smashed, table upended. It reminded Chloe of terrible times, when she thought hatred was the only emotion she could still feel.

Even so, the familiarity of the place comforted her. She found a place on the couch comfortable enough to sit and stretch her legs out. She kicked away the broken dartboard and thought about nothing in particular. To her, that was exactly what she needed.

No music, no talking, no noise. Chloe couldn't guess how long she sat there, unwinding amid all that mess. Every second flowed into the next, and she didn't care. The only thing she wished was that she had some weed, but she could do without this once.

Eventually, the moment of calm passed, and she could almost feel a nonexistent music fade to a halt. Her time to herself solved nothing, but it made it easier, in a sense.

Chloe hadn't magically forgiven Max, but it was time to hear her out. If she really had learned something new, they needed to talk about it. Chloe had to tell her about Rachel and Old Max, too.

With a full-body stretch, Chloe pulled her legs back through the debris but unexpectedly felt a foot catch on something solid within. She gave it a tug and brought the fairly heavy object back to the floor underneath her seat on the couch.

It was a solid metal container, about the size of a shoebox, with a large **CP** grooved into the top. It was clean and professional, as if it had been made with the initials. The hinge around the back had a slight tinge of rust, but other than that and the scratches from her dragging it, it appeared brand new. Chloe didn't recognize it at all. It definitely didn't belong to her, despite the letters, and it looked too new to have belonged to Rachel.

Unsure of what was inside, Chloe picked the box up, set it in her lap, and the hinge barely creaked as she slowly opened the unlocked clasp. Inside, the box was filled with cash banded and stacked end to end, surrounding two Polaroid cameras. One she knew very well. It was her dad's back before he died, and Chloe had given it to Old Max the day they reconnected. The other she couldn't place. Atop the money was a neatly folded letter with the words _I'm sorry_ written on the front. Chloe recognized the handwriting; there was only one person it could be from.

She unfolded the letter and read through the lengthy note without stopping. She don't know if she blinked at all; she was so focused on those words. When she finished, she checked the back and saw what she expected, closed the box, keeping the note. Counting the money could wait. She needed to talk to Max.

Without another moment's hesitation, she grabbed her phone and dialed Max's number. It was time to talk.

-~-

Naturally, Max became almost immediately distracted from her studies. Homework was nice, but the internet was a better distraction. Videos and forums and pictures all worked to keep her from her goal, but she didn't care. She was never that good at staying focused, anyway.

A few hours later, she finally received a text from Chloe, saying that she was back in town, but needed some time before she would talk. Max sent back a short reply and tried to pass the time again, but now that message stuck in her head. She put on an episode of one of her favorite TV shows, to not much help.

She considered sending another text, but that would just be needy. If Chloe needed her time, Max had to respect that. Fortunately, she didn't need to wait for long. Not even an hour passed before her phone rang, and she snatched it up and answered the moment she saw Chloe's name appear.

"Chloe?" she began.

"Yeah, Maxi. It's me. Can you, uh, come meet me at the junkyard? There's a bus that goes nearby. There's something I need to show you."

"I can be there." Max didn't know what was so important at the junkyard, or why Chloe couldn't pick her up, but she didn't care. Anything to fix this.

"Cool... cool. I'll see you there. I, uh..." She seemed like she wanted to say something else. "See you there." She hung up before Max could respond.

Max didn't hesitate. She threw on a coat and ran to the nearest bus stop. She knew the way well enough from her trip there with Chloe last week, and it wouldn't take long if the buses weren't late.

Fortunately, they weren't. She caught the bus right before it left and spent the ride over wondering what she planned to say. _I'm sorry_ was obvious, but she needed more. It was unfair of her to leave Chloe out of this and jump back without telling her. Even if it worked out in the end—for a certain definition—she couldn't do it again.

When she got to the stop she needed, she exited the bus and practically ran to the junkyard. It was exactly as rusted and dangerous as she remembered, but she paid no attention. Chloe would likely be in the shack, so that's where she headed.

Inside, she saw that Chloe had kicked most of the debris to the sides of the room, leaving the center clear with a low table set up. Atop the table was a metal box with an inscription on the top. Chloe gave her a slight smile as she entered.

"Hey, Super Max."

Max caught her breath and returned the smile. "Hey, Chloe. Are we... good to talk?"

"Yeah, yeah. There's just something you need to read first. It's, uh, from you."

"Old Max?" she clarified.

"That's right. Her. Read it and tell me what you think."

She held out a letter that Max hadn't seen and passed it over to read. Unfolding it, Max was met with her own handwriting. This was from Old Max, without a doubt.

She read through, confused at first, and making connections with what Old Max had told her. Some things in the note were wrong, but certain things stuck out to her. As she neared the end, she noticed that the words seemed to swirl around, becoming harder and harder to focus on.

With the final words, she lowered the note and saw the world spin around her. She knew what was coming, but this time she was ready for it. Chloe must have seen too, because she ran over and grabbed Max in a full-body hug to hold her steady.

"C'mon Max, not again. Stay with me!"

"Don't worry, Chloe," Max said. She wasn't sure if her words were spinning, too. "Be right back. I'll see you soon."

Everything grew dark.

-~-

_Chloe,_

_If you found this box, then that means I'm gone. Not dead gone, at least I hope not, but I feel you should know what I have done. I know you won't come back to this junkyard for a long while because of Rachel, which is why I left this here. The current date is October 8_ _th_ _, 2013, the day after we reconnected. My power is greater than I let on, and I'm sorry for the deception._

_In the first timeline, I had a choice. Sacrifice Arcadia Bay to the storm, or go back and let you bleed to death in a Blackwell bathroom. I took a third option. I went back far, farther than I ever had before, and changed things. At first, I tried just getting us out, but the storm still hit. I tried warning people, but it only grew larger. Sometimes it hit earlier, and we pressed on, but the more I tried the more they came._

_Every time I go back to try again, I watch and make adjustments where they are needed. I interefere as little as possible to give each of those Maxes their own life, but this time I need to take matters into my own hand. In every timeline, I write these letters so that you will have an explanation for when I leave._

_First, the fact that you even exist to read this means that my plan either worked, or this timeline is strong enough to carry on without me. If I succeeded, then this letter will tell you nothing you don't already know and I must have forgotten to grab it. You can show it to me and we can laugh at my forgetfulness. Otherwise, I left to try again. The Max I leave behind will know little of the past few years, and nothing of her powers. It's up to you to teach her. Hopefully, you have already started._

_Second, Rachel Amber is alive. I've written her address on the back of this letter so you can find her. She lives in L.A. now and is doing well for herself. I made sure of that. If you decide you want to try to forgive her, then that is your choice._

_Third, the cash in this box is for you. The storm has likely already hit and you're digging all of this out of the rubble. Take it and run. If there is one, more will follow. The cameras are yours too. You deserve to have something of your dad's, and of mine, if I'm not around._

_Last, please don't hate me. I know that I never told you everything and you may see this as me manipulating you, but it was for everyone's own good. I will settle for nothing less than your survival._

_I've traveled through so many timelines trying to perfect things, but I could never get them quite right. This one may be close, and I hope beyond hope that it will be it. Even so, it will be filled with failures. Rachel Amber broke so many hearts. Kate Marsh will almost kill herself. Stella Hill is dead. You aren't happy._

_I can't do this much longer. The strain of holding back so many Maxes in one long, nested jump is overwhelming. Still, I won't stop until my work is done._

_This is my 76 th, and hopefully last, attempt. I love you, Chloe. _

_Until the ends of time,_

_Maxoxo._

-~-

Max knew exactly where she was, but something was different. The dark, empty void no longer held any more of those floating rocks. Only an empty expanse now.

"Max?" she called out, searching for her other self. "Are you there?"

"I didn't expect you back so soon." The voice came from behind, and she turned around to see Old Max standing there. She was unsteady on her feet, but still shot her a slight smile and a wave.

"We found your letter. The money, too."

Old Max nodded. "I saw that. Honestly, I thought it would be left there, forgotten."

"You didn't expect this to work. You were just going to leave."

"This wasn't intended to be the final timeline." Old Max averted her gaze. "You weren't ever supposed to return. But you did, and now I'm here. When I realized that this timeline would actually work, I was almost at my limit. I did a few small things: jump and hide the phone I used to blackmail Sean Prescott, make sure Nathan stayed to the end, hide my involvement with tipping off David. All to protect you."

"You know which Max I am." It was a fact, and Old Max didn't deny it. "And you knew I wouldn't remember anything."

She sniffed before she responded. "You're the oldest Max, besides me. That's why you're so strong. Do you remember the hockey game, all those years ago?"

Max did. Her dad had gotten a flat tire on the way there, and they almost missed the start of the first period.

Old Max continued. "Our dad took a picture of us there. That was the first time I ever jumped back to save everyone. We gave it an attempt, and then I left." She waved to the surrounding nothingness. "You were one of the memories trapped here until that Friday morning when you all came rushing back. Weeks of battle between us all, until you emerged victorious." A sigh escaped her lips. "I was wrong, in the letter. By the time I realized this timeline might work, it was too late to change it."

"So..." Max began. "I'm only alive because of... luck?"

Old Max nodded. "You survived out of us all, but your memories aren't ever going to return. When we all collided, it was like a mind wipe. The little flashes you remember are only the pieces that were never changed. Chloe lived so many different lives; she's like a stranger."

Max couldn't believe it. She was just a random part of herself whose memories were a mashup of so many timelines. They wouldn't ever come back, and the zone-outs and forgetfulness wouldn't stop.

"You remember it all, though," Max said.

"I couldn't fight anymore. That was why I gave up. I pulled myself away to this place and let you all fight it out. But all those lives, I remember them."

Max looked around at the nothingness. All the other Maxes were gone; it was just the two of them. "Where did they go?" She feared the answer.

"As I said before: faded away. Just like me, soon."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Max couldn't let her just _die_. So many other versions of herself had already.

A pained look crossed Old Max's face at the question. "I lied when I said I was powerless here. I have very little control now, but there is a way you can save me."

"What? What is it?" If there was a way, Max knew they had to take it.

"There's a photo of ourself that Rachel Amber has. It was the furthest back I ever went, and I gave it to her for safekeeping. We took it on our first day of first grade, the day we met Chloe. And now that Chloe's reconnected with Rachel, she can get it to you."

"How will that save you?" It made little sense how more photojumping could solve this.

"If you jump into it, I can use the last of my power to intercept you and come back instead. To the outside world, it will look like I'm the new you."

"And... what happens to me? Do I come back here, only to fade away?"

Old Max shook her head, a flush of red around her eyes. "You're the strongest of us all now. You wouldn't fade at all. You'd live and watch the world go by, same as I have. But if I stay here, I won't even last another day." She sniffled.

"So I can save you," Max said, considering exactly what that meant, "but I would be stuck here instead. All I could do is watch you live my life."

"I wasn't going to tell you. That's not a decision anyone should have to make. I know my share of hard decisions." Max could now clearly see the redness around her eyes as tears begin to roll down her cheeks. She tried in vain to stop them. "I'm sorry, Max. I don't mean to guilt you, but after everything I've been through... I just want to be happy with Chloe."

Max understood how she felt. Chloe was the reason Old Max did any of this, and to have her happy ending snatched away at the finish line must hurt more than anything. Then again, this life was Max's own to live, even if Old Max had set it up.

There was no easy answer. Let Old Max die, or give up her body to let her live. Was there another way? Another way so that no one had to lose anything?

"Don't bother," Old Max said. She had wiped away the tears and composed herself. "There's no third option here, and even if there was, you shouldn't take it. Everything that's happened, happened because I tried to find a middle ground." She broke eye contact and looked at the ground. "I understand if you won't do this, but I had to ask."

"I..." What was Max supposed to say? Yes, I give up my life for yours? No, you have to die?

Fortunately, she didn't have to say anything. That realm of memories snapped away, and the real world moved to replace it.

-~-

Max's eyes fluttered open, and she came to, sitting on the couch in the shack. Chloe must have seen the change because she raised a questioning eyebrow. She seemed only slightly worried.

"You okay, Max?" she asked. "What happened?"

"We need to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _It always comes down to a choice, doesn't it?_
> 
> Thanks for reading.
> 
> Final Chapter: 2/2


	25. Choices

_Chloe sat on a bench and watched the skaters go by, wishing she could join them. If she hadn't lost her board, she would've been rolling too, showing off her skills. Instead, she waited, exuding her air of practiced indifference._

_At the least, if she spotted Justin or Trevor, she could pick up some weed. She was almost out and really did not want to see Frank for a top-up. Unfortunately, she couldn't spy either of them in the few lone groups out on this cool morning. Class, probably, if they weren't skipping._

_A sigh escaped her lips. What was she even still doing here? Joyce barely put up with her. Stepdouche was riled up about something and took it out on her. School was a lost cause, and that worthless skank who gave her life any meaning had long since left. If Chloe was smart, she'd be well to do the same._

_A shuffle beside her as someone took a seat._

_"Fuck off," Chloe said without looking. Whoever it was, she wasn't in the mood._

_"I thought I would at least get a 'hello'."_

_Chloe didn't immediately recognize the voice, so she twisted her body to see who it was. The movement sent a wave of pain through her gut. David's parting gift from yesterday still stung like a gunshot wound._

_The other person stared back at her with big doe eyes that Chloe had never forgotten. They graced her dreams and thoughts almost every day, and seeing that girl in the flesh after so many years stunned her. So many emotions that she couldn't hope to name them all. Almost all of them some form of relief or excitement._

_The girl reached over and took Chloe's hand in her own, feeling no resistance. Chloe could only imagine the look on her own face as she stared and attempted to comprehend this surprise._

_"Hi, Chloe. It's been a while."_

-Final Timeline, October 7th

* * *

Max had just woken up from her final visit with Old Max, and Chloe still had that strained worry on her face.

"We need to talk," Max had said.

"Yeah. We do." Chloe nodded, frowning. "But first, are you okay?"

That could mean a lot of different things, and each of them had a different answer. One thing Max had learned though, is that the truth was needed. No more lies.

"I don't know, Chloe. After everything... I don't know."

At that, Chloe moved over and sat side-by-side next to Max on the single cushion and wrapped an arm around her. The gesture calmed Max, helping her think. There was so much to go over and so little time if what Old Max said was true.

"Are you mad at me?" Max continued. The question had been on her mind ever since that phone call, worming its way through her thoughts and souring herself.

Chloe sighed in response. "I was pretty pissed when I found out. Luckily Steph was there to calm me down. I don't know if I would've otherwise. But no, I'm not mad. Just... tell me what happened."

So Max did. She began from that moment in her room where she discovered the photo with the instructions on the back. Going through, then being forced to watch everything play out. Her short chat with Victoria and the trip to Wednesday to stay.

Max told Chloe about the party and talking to Nathan. Seeing the bunker and finding Old Max for the first time. Losing two whole days. Doing one more jump then pulling back to Sunday, where she talked with Frank and Victoria, then finally Old Max one final time after reading that letter.

Chloe asked the occasional clarifying question, but mostly let Max speak. When Max finished with the choice that Old Max left for her, they sat in silence, thinking.

Chloe was the first to break it. " _Damn_."

"Yeah."

"Like, how can she even drop that bombshell on you? I get that she went through all this to save everyone, but... forever?"

"I really don't think she wanted to," Max said. She reached up and held the hand that Chloe had placed on her shoulder. The connection helped. "But she had no other option. She can't live unless I let her."

"And you would be trapped there instead of her."

Max nodded. "I could still watch, though, like she is now."

Chloe tensed up. "How fucked up is that, us just debating whether we should let her die while she sits there and listens? This whole thing is a mess."

"I know, Chloe, but she just wants to live."

"And for you to die," Chloe stressed.

It wasn't as straightforward as that. Or was it? Would it still be life if Max sat all alone in that strange place watching Old Max and Chloe live their lives together? Old Max wouldn't survive the night, if the rapid decline in her health from the two times they talked was any sign. It was her only chance, and Max had seen the pain it caused her to ask it.

But she couldn't expect Max to just give up her life, could she? Even if her being here was a mistake, she still had a right to this timeline. She was as real as every other Max. Right?

Chloe lightly bumped their knees together. "Hey, Maxi. You're zoning out again."

"Sorry," Max eked out. Maybe Old Max would be better than this. At least she wasn't a broken amnesiac version of herself, constantly losing time. The reminder of the confirmation that Max would never get her memories back sent a dull wave of depression through her.

"S'alright. I still love you."

The words brought a smile to Max's face, but it dropped off before she spoke. "So. That's what happened to me. I'm really sorry I lied to you."

"I get it, Max. You wanted to know what was going on. It's a little on me for just taking off to California like that, but yeah. I forgive you. If you hadn't gone, we would have no idea that Old Max was still there."

"I guess so."

It was growing dark outside, and it would be night proper fairly soon. Chloe said nothing in response, so Max took a moment to relax. She tried not to think about Old Max, or time travel, or death, and instead only enjoy the warmth of Chloe's body next to her on that couch in a ruined junkyard shack. With Chloe there, she felt protected and safe.

The moment of calm lasted only a few minutes, but Max needed it. It was nothing like her zone-outs, and when the feeling passed, she considered all the many of those she had had. They were pieces of lost time; sometimes her brain skipped a beat or crossed a wire. Old Max had said they were all on her, nothing to do with her power, but maybe she was wrong.

Some of those moments were short and might have actually been a slip of the mind, but others were longer. The worst ones were almost half an hour, and it was hard to believe that she could lose all of that. Others had objects moved from where they were, exactly like an Auto Max could have done. Max didn't remember doing that, but then again that was the point. She supposed there was no way to know for sure.

_Old Max wouldn't have these zone-outs, would she?_

No. She would be free of many of Max's problems. She hadn't survived the Max Royale. The only thing she had done was walk away when her job was finished, and Max couldn't blame her. Sitting there watching, and the only change afterward making sure Max didn't screw up her photojump back to Blackwell. Max was the strongest of all except the original, and even that had been close. Max suspected that the only reason Old Max could manage the fight was that she had caught Max by surprise in a photojump. But that had been the extent of it.

It was a good thing. If Max changed something, all of Old Max's work would have been for nothing.

"Whaddya thinkin' about?" Chloe asked.

"Old Max."

"Oh. Yeah..." Her expression was unclear.

"So, how was L.A?" One story for another.

"It was... interesting." Chloe looked up to the sky, thinking about what to say. "I found Rachel on the first day we were there, surprisingly. She came out of the bar super drunk so we let her sleep it off before we talked. Went by the name Jess, just cause she wanted to make a new life for herself. We talked a lot of personal stuff and I think Old Max had something to do with it."

Old Max and Rachel? Max furrowed her brow.

"It turns out she worked with Jefferson for a time. She helped him take those pictures in exchange for drugs and, uh, she slept with him too. Like, a lot." She spoke quickly, trying to get through everything. "She saw Stella the day she disappeared, too. So... yeah."

"Why didn't the cops go after her too?"

Chloe shrugged. "I don't think they knew. That piece of shit Jefferson never told them, and they never found anything connecting her to it, I guess. Maybe Jefferson thought he had killed her, and Old Max saved her after that. It's weird, but I'm glad she's okay."

Max knew nothing about Rachel Amber more than what Chloe had told her, but she was surprised that Chloe didn't seem more emotional about it. Before, even the mention of her name was enough to anger her.

"Then, when Rachel decided to leave, she told Jefferson and he didn't take it well. He drugged her, just like all the others, but the next thing she knew she woke up here with a note from you and a stack of cash. After that, it was goodbye to Arcadia Bay."

"Wow," Max said. "What did the note say?"

Chloe reached into her pocket and pulled out a Polaroid. She held it out, but hesitated.

"Don't go?" She knew it was the one Old Max wanted; the photo to save her.

When Max realized what it was, she looked Chloe in the eyes. "I won't," Max promised.

Satisfied, Chloe passed it over. Max examined the photo and immediately recognized herself standing in front of a tree, ready for school. The moment itself she couldn't quite remember, but she knew it was her all the same. On the back was a small message:

**_Keep this safe. It's important for both me and you._ **

"This is it," Max said.

"I guess Old Max gave it to her for safekeeping. Do you think she knew this would happen?"

"Not until the end, I think," Max guessed, "but she was always prepared."

Chloe was silent for a moment before she spoke. "Are you going to do it?"

That was the question, wasn't it?

"I won't blame you either way."

"I know, Chloe. I... haven't decided."

They both stared down at the photo. All it would take was a single jump and Old Max would be free. But this Max, the one with all the power, would be gone. Truthfully, Max was scared. No one would think her in the wrong for doing nothing and living her life in this timeline. A life with Chloe was ahead of her, if she only wished to take it.

Chloe lightly coughed, knocking Max from her thoughts, and pointed to the metal box on the table. "She did the same for us. Take a look."

The table was too far to reach from their spot on the couch, so Max disentangled herself from Chloe's hold and stood. A quick unlocking of the clasp on the front revealed the inside. Cash stacked around two Polaroid cameras.

"Wow," Max said as she looked at all the money. It was more than she had ever seen.

"I think that's worth at least a 'wowzer'," Chloe joked. She peeled herself from her seat and stood by Max. "But yeah. That camera there was yours. You got it in Seattle, probably. The other one was my dad's. That Monday you came back, I gave it to you because it seemed right. I thought it odd that I never saw you use it, but I guess this explains that."

Max reached in and grabbed the camera that Chloe pointed out. She kept the photo of herself in her other hand. The name _William Price_ was written on the bottom. Holding it felt right.

"He was the one that got you into photography. I wonder what he would say if he saw us now?"

"Do you think he'd be proud?"

"He always was. Even when I was being a little prick, he still made sure to show that he cared. He loved you so much, too."

Max gave a soft smile. "I wish I could have known him more."

"Yeah. Me too."

More silence. So many times their conversation veered off into it, because they both knew that eventually they would have to face the problem of Old Max for real. They didn't know everything about her fight and her travel through so many timelines, not even close, but did it matter? Max didn't think so.

A buzz vibrated from Max's pocket, and she set the camera down to reach in for her phone. She took a seat back on the ruined couch and Chloe joined her, protectively holding Max once more.

 **_Victoria_ ** _: Nathan's back. He's not in the mood to talk, but I think he's okay. Thanks, Max._

Max showed the text to Chloe, who nodded once she read it.

"That's good," she said. "I'm glad he's all right."

"Really?"

"I mean, I still don't like him, but I get how he's having trouble. His dad and Jefferson doing their weird shit didn't help. He needs therapy or... something."

Max agreed. He wasn't a bad guy, just a little unstable. A little like herself. She put the phone away, leaving only the photo in her hand.

Would therapy help if she went? The parts about time travel and other versions of herself she could never say, but it might make it easier to deal with things.

Money wouldn't be an issue for a long while; Old Max made sure of that. In fact, only a few more months of school and she could be free. The cushion would help, and if they ever ran out there were infinite ways to make money with her rewind. Whatever Max went forward, that was one less problem.

"What... do you think I should do?" Max asked. The subject was obvious. No matter how much she wanted to push the problem away, she couldn't. Not doing anything was a decision too.

"I don't know, Max. Like, I get that she saved us all, but it's also her fault you're hurting, even if she didn't mean to." Chloe was visibly working to keep it together. "I love you so much, Max. And I love her as well. You both did so much for me, more than I ever deserved. I..." She choked on her words. "Don't ask me to choose."

Max didn't. Chloe would live no matter what happened, and she would have a Max. Both of them meant so much to her, though maybe in different ways. It wasn't something to put on her shoulders. Not this time.

There was something Max had to say, something she had been thinking for some time. Maybe it was too early, but this might be her final chance.

"Chloe." The words brought their eyes together, and the intensity of her gaze weighed on Max. "I love you too."

At the confession, a smile revealed itself on Chloe's face, reaching her reddened eyes. With no more hesitation, she leaned in close, bringing their lips together in a kiss.

There was so much emotion between them and Max tried to savor every ounce of it. Every second of Chloe's practiced movements sent warm glows through her body, helping her lose herself. The world was painful, but this made it all worth it.

Too soon, Chloe pulled back, leaving Max wanting more. There could be so much more, if she wished it.

"Thank you," Chloe whispered. Speaking too loudly would break the spell. She still kept that hand wrapped around Max's body and Max wished for it to never leave.

They needed no more words. It was time.

And so Max sat there, thinking. She glanced back and forth between Chloe beside her and the photo in her hand. The moment to decide was now; Old Max withered away in that other realm with every second.

Was this how Old Max had felt the very first time when she had to choose between Chloe and Arcadia Bay? Unfortunately, there would be no third option here. That was what had gotten them into this mess.

Chloe stayed silent, letting Max consider, and Max knew that she would support her either way. But this decision was for her alone. No matter what, she promised herself she wouldn't live a life of regret.

Finally, she knew she could wait no longer. Stay or jump. Do nothing or save a life. Live or die. No matter how she phrased it, neither one called out to her as the 'correct decision'. Maybe a philosopher could tell her what to do, but all she had were the experiences of her own fractured existence. No answer but her own.

Photo in hand and two lives ahead of her, Max made her choice.

**_The End_ **

-~-

_And where does one go when faced with two paths, each more terrible than the other, and between them lies no middle ground? It is better to live with a poor decision than to die having made none at all._

_-~-_

_Max..._

_Are you still there...?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. That's it. The story of a broken Max and the timeline she was left with has come to an end.
> 
> It's been a great time going through this with everyone. Your comments and opinions were the best part of writing this and it gave me the energy to, week after week.
> 
> Now the question is: Knowing what Max does, what would you do? Frankly, I don't know what I would choose. Leave your opinions in the comments. I'll make one with some random thoughts about the story sometime this week.
> 
> This won't be my last tale. I've two more ideas that I plan to work on Soon™. One is a fun romp through time in a very different time travel AU, and the other is a "canon-adjacent" adventure story.  
> The first will begin soon, and for that, I leave you one question:
> 
> _Do you have the time?_


End file.
